


So Natural

by Southern_Cross



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2013-10-01
Packaged: 2017-12-28 03:05:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Southern_Cross/pseuds/Southern_Cross
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amber sunglasses, wet towels, reveries and red tulips lead to the inevitable... Occurs during the same period as "Violate Me." Shino/Ino.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at adult-fanficion.org.

Ino ambled across the streets of Konoha without the usual spring in her steps. It had been two weeks since her pink-haired best friend went on a mission to Kiri. Sakura had told her before leaving that the mission would be particularly long, but Ino didn't know that it would take  _this_  long. She was already starting to miss their late-night phone conversations where she could be as nasty and kinky with her comments as she could. It wasn't that she didn't trust her other girl friends, but she just couldn't speak as freely with them as she could with Sakura.

'You can't exactly blabber about how disappointed you were with your one-night stand with the Hyūga heiress, can you?' the twenty-year-old kunoichi thought, 'Compare the insignificance of  _that_  to her usual concerns about peace treaties spanning several countries.' Tenten was a year older, so it was hardly appropriate to chat about things such as hidden desires, hunky male models and porn actors with her. Unless they were drunk, that is. Kurenai, who had become closer to the members of Team 10 since Asuma's passing, was  _a decade and a half_  her senior, so it was just plain awkward no matter how motherly the red-eyed beauty had become to her and her teammates.

Kami, she missed her friend. The mission couldn't have been worse in timing. Tsunade had issued an order that declared that medical-nin were to have cyclic schedules: two months of hospital duties followed by a month off. "Medical-nin need to have a life outside the hospital's white walls. Only then can they develop holistically," said the Godaime Hokage, "We can't have them develop necrophilia after not getting any for so long, can we?" Yes, the hokage had had quite a few shots of sake when she made the memorandum. The memory caused Ino to giggle a little as she recalled the priceless jaw-drops from the conservative members of the Council of Elders.

The term "month off" was actually a misnomer, as missions were usually assigned to the medical-nin during these periods. Of course, mission profiles take precedence over hospital duties, so medical-nin on hospital duty may be withdrawn if they possess expertise in special fields associated with the mission. Her best friend, with her superb chakra control and excellent genjutsu, was a personal favorite for the said exception to the memorandum. Ino herself had been withdrawn from hospital duty a few times when her body switching techniques were deemed essential for the mission.

The point was that her friend had left just before she overheard some naughty tittle-tattle about her newest object of desire, and so here she was, filled to the brim with juicy gossip but with nobody to gush over it with. For Konoha's self-proclaimed "Queen of Hearsay," this was a nightmare.

"Argh! I'm really gonna go crazy!" she muttered as she kicked a pebble. A blush graced her beautiful face as she recalled the details of what she had heard. 'Could it be true?' she thought, 'I mean, I've learned that it's doesn't follow the usual rules of proportion. Maybe they were just making a stupid guess about–'

"Hey, Ino!"

Her train of thoughts was interrupted as Izumo yelled to her from Konoha's gate. Beside him was his ever-present partner, Kotetsu. She went over to them and bowed as she greeted the two men. Though she was now superior by rank, as the two chose to remain chūnin, she exercised courtesy as she still viewed them as seniors by age. However, this respect didn't stop her from inwardly grinning when she thought of all the chitchat about these two being more than just friends. Ino knew them well enough, though, to know that these rumors were far from the truth.

"You look a little down, Ino. Something bothering you?" asked Kotetsu as he looked up from the Icha Icha novel Kakashi had given him for his birthday.

"Oh, it's nothing, Hagane-san. I didn't get a mission during my month off and Sakura's not around. I'm just a little bored since I've got nothing to do, that's all. You, on the other hand, appear to be happily preoccupied with that little orange book." She leaned forward a little to inspect the cover. "Ah, one of the classics by the late Jiraiya-sama, reprinted with a foreword by friend and self-proclaimed number one fan, Hatake Kakashi. I don't understand. Why didn't Hatake-san give you some of the ones that he wrote himself? I had read from magazine reviews that the ones he wrote have much more interesting plots."

"Well…" Kotetsu began, a hint of red making its way to his cheeks. Luckily for him, the ever-present bandages hid most of it.

"The ones by Jiraiya-sama are much more smut-filled, so that's why Kakashi gave him this one. That was his request, after all," his smirking companion finished for him. The reply earned Izumo a rather hard punch to the arm from Kotetsu. Ino laughed a little at the playful banter that followed.

"Ah, Hagane-san, I didn't think those rumors about what happened last week at  _The Spot_  were true, but hearing those words from Kamizuki-san, I may have to believe them after all," said the blonde kunoichi, a playful smile on her lips.

The addressed paled considerably, stuttering. "H-h-how did you know about t-that!?" Kotetsu had dropped his book and was now standing, clearly disturbed. "Seriously, Ino, I thought everybody in the place was too drunk to recall what happened! Well, I wasn't really able to flash my entire behind while dancing since Izumo here was able to stop me before pulling my pants all the way down, so it really wasn't so bad, right? Anyway, tell me, who told you about it?"

Ino paused for a while, and then giggled a little.

She gestured to the man. "Why  _you_  did, Hagane-san. I only heard that  _something_  happened, but as you said, the details were blurry as most of the others were too drunk. You're very gracious to have narrated it to me, Hagane-san."

A scowl formed on the older man's face while his friend was unable to suppress his guffaws. "Ino, you sly fox…" he began. "Oh shut it, Izumo!" Eventually, though, he joined in on the laughter as he took his seat again. The girl certainly knew ways to extract details. After a while, he stopped snickering as he looked past the purple-clad medical-nin. "Ah, it seems your best friend is back. Go and welcome her, and stop bugging me about that… incident, okay? Shoo! And not a word to  _anybody_ , especially Tsunade-sama, got it?"

The blonde whirled around so fast that Izumo received a faceful of blonde ponytail. Seemingly unaware of the inflicted injury, Ino scanned the road ahead. Sure enough, her gaze fell on the three-man, or more aptly, two-man, one-woman and one-canine unit.

"Sakura, you bitch! What took you so long!?" screeched the ecstatic kunoichi as she ran towards the tired-looking group. Behind her, Kotetsu yelled something about her not promising anything while Izumo muttered something about getting some hair in his mouth.

The two male jōnin said nothing, apparently used to the blonde's use of expletives as a form of endearment. Ino tackled the pink-haired kunoichi into a bone-crushing embrace, spinning around madly as she did so. The combination of the motion and exhaustion caused Sakura to lose balance and fall unceremoniously on her back. "Ugh, Ino…" she moaned, "I'm really tired right now, so just leave us be for a while to wrap everything up with the hokage and finally get some rest."

"But, but…" started Ino, but looking at the similar expressions on the faces of the other two ninja, she sighed in defeat and stood up. She was about to offer her hand to help Sakura up but the dog-nin had already placed one arm behind the pinkette's neck and another behind her knees, lifting her with negligible effort.

"You seem really tired, Sakura. I can carry you home if you want. I know where you live anyway. I can just tell Tsunade-sama that you're drained and went home to rest already," said Kiba. Ino giggled a little at the handsome ninja's display of chivalry. 'So typical of Kiba to act as such,' she thought.

The pinkette immediately leapt out of the dog-nin's arms, appearing embarrassed and blushing furiously. "Oh, come off it, Kiba. What would Tsunade-shishō say at such lack of professionalism if I didn't meet with her after a mission? I would appear… weak. I don't want that.  _She_  wouldn't want that, especially from her apprentice."

"Oh come on, Sakura. Why are you turning down Kiba's generous offer? I know a lot of girls who would faint on the spot if they received a similar offer from him. Besides, I bet it's pretty comfortable being braced against… these," said the blonde medical-nin as she poked at the firm and defined musculature of the tall ninja's smooth arms and chest. The dog-nin's black jacket was missing, probably destroyed during the mission, so he was just in his tight mesh shirt and black pants. 'I, sure as hell, ain't complaining!' the blonde thought to herself as she eyed the handsome dog-nin's impressive physique. "Lookin' good, Inuzuka," she voiced out, winking playfully at the addressed.

"Of course, babe!" replied Kiba, flexing a little as he did, "Have you only noticed now?"

The two shared a few laughs while Sakura snorted. "Ugh, just get a room, you two!" she exclaimed as she stomped ahead of the group to enter the village.

Ino raised an elegant brow in askance. 'What was  _that_  all about? Hmm…' She jogged after her friend, leaving the guys behind. "Hey," she whispered to the irate pinkette, "why am I sensing some anxiety from you when you're with those boys? Did something happen? Did they bully you or anything? If they did, just tell me. I can simply switch bodies and make them cut off their own–"

"Heavens no, Ino! Don't do that! You know they're good friends and they would never do anything of the sort. Just drop it, Ino. I'm just…  _really_  tired right now. I'm not thinking straight," replied the medical-nin. The pink-haired kunoichi then proceeded to mutter about how it would be such a waste or something, blushing all the while. Ino couldn't quite catch it, even with her trained hearing, so she simply shrugged and continued to accompany her friend through the streets of Konoha. The group was getting quite a fair share of stares and whispers from the people. After all, theirs was quite an attractive bunch.

After a while, the silence was broken unexpectedly by no less than the least talkative person from the group. "Kiba and I will be proceeding to the hot springs after meeting with the hokage to relax and unwind. Would the two of you like to join us?" the bug-nin inquired. Ino could've sworn she heard quite a few of the girls ask their parents' permission to go to the public bath right after they heard the statement.

"Er, no thanks, Shino. I can just take a dip in my tub at home," replied a flustered Sakura.

'Something is seriously wrong with this girl,' Ino thought. "Is that a come-on, Shino?" the blonde teased, wagging her brows at the tall bug-nin.

The dog-nin chuckled at the blonde's antics while Shino answered, "Hmm… Take it as you will, Ino, but I simply believe that it'll help team dynamics if we held such activities. Do you seriously not wish to reconsider, Sakura?"

"C'mon, Sakura! Don't be such a prude granny!" said the blonde kunoichi as she elbowed her best friend playfully.

"I am  _not_  a prude granny, Ino! Geez…" Sakura said. "I really can't go this time, Shino. I have more… immediate concerns at the moment. I'm not rejecting the offer because I'm a prude, got it?" said the pink-haired kunoichi, directing her last statement at the annoying blonde beside her.

"Yeah, yeah, of course you're not," the blonde stated blandly. Ino had to smile a little as the dog-nin, in all his muscular manliness, now sported an adorable pout on his lips. It didn't seem to have any effect on Sakura, though, as the kunoichi turned around and continued walking to the Hokage Tower and a bit briskly at that. 'Weird,' thought the pinkette's blonde best friend.

After a while, they reached their destination and were told to wait by Shizune as she went to inform the blonde hokage of their team's arrival. Given the lack of seats available, the group simply chose to lean against the walls of the long corridor leading to the hokage's office.

Ino took it upon herself to "update" her best friend about the "interesting things" that happened in the village while the latter was away on the mission. She was somewhat annoyed because Sakura kept either dozing off or spacing out and blushing, rubbing her legs together and cradling her face in her hands. 'What the hell?' Ino thought. She could've sworn she saw the edge of the dog-nin's lips twitch a little. 'Even Kiba has noticed, it seems, and finds it amusing. Well, it  _is_  quite funny when you think about it.' The pretty blonde was just about to ask her best friend what the hell was wrong with her when the door opened.

"Tsunade-sama will see you now," said the senior medical-nin. The members of the team nodded and began to move for the office. "Oh, Sakura, Ino, I would just like to remind you that your hospital duties will be starting tomorrow so rest up, okay?" The two kunoichi nodded in acknowledgment.

"I'll just meet up with you guys at  _Vapor Style_  at around ten o'clock, okay?" stated the blonde kunoichi.

"Indeed, that would give us ample time to get a change of clothes from our homes. Very well, then. We'll see you there at that time, Ino," replied the tall, stoic ninja.

Getting the reply she needed, the blonde kunoichi turned around to make her way back to her apartment to get a change of clothes. As such, she was unaware of the bug-nin's lingering gaze. Sakura went back outside to call the mission leader and caught him in that position. Though the man's eyes were hidden from view, it didn't take much brain power to deduce that the tall Aburame was staring at her best friend's retreating form. With a knowing smile etched on her lips, she placed a hand on his shoulder. The black-haired man turned sharply, apparently caught off-guard, and then proceeded to enter the hokage's office with the pink-haired kunoichi before closing the door.


	2. Part 2

Ino closed the door of her apartment and promptly shuddered. "Why the hell does he have to sound so damn  _good_?" She remembered how the very few sentences he had said to her felt like chocolate to her ears. The fact that he didn't have his hooded jacket and was parading around in his high-collared sleeveless shirt only made it difficult for her to mask her overwhelming desire. "Damn, those arms look mighty fine!" she decided. She walked into her bedroom and unceremoniously dove into the lilac-colored, floral-patterned sheets, mentally berating herself for being unable to stop herself from giggling like the stupid fangirl she was for Sasuke almost a decade ago. Her mind began to wander, recalling the first time she saw the Aburame sans the multiple layers of clothing and the shades – the first time she saw him in a different light.

* * *

_"So many celebrations, so little time," muttered Ino as she began to pick out a present for the shady Aburame who was celebrating his twenty-first birthday with the other members of the Rookie Nine and Team Guy later that day. It hadn't been a month since they celebrated Hinata's twentieth birthday and her wallet hadn't quite recovered from the pricey gift she bought for the Hyūga heiress. She snickered a little as she recalled the kinky present she had picked out for the pale-eyed beauty. "Had she been the same as she was all those years ago, she would've fainted on the spot," she said, her head shaking a little and her brows knotting as she looked at the price tag on a pair of shades. 'Damn it! Why is his brand of shades so damn expensive!?' she mentally exclaimed. She sighed and scuttled over to browse another section of the eyewear store. 'Come to think of it, he does come from an established clan so he's fairly rich and can easily afford these.'_

_Nearly twenty minutes had passed and she was still browsing across the selection of eyewear. She would've given up and searched for something else had she known the Aburame enough to know what else to give, but she realized with a sheepish grin that she hardly associated anything at all to the tall ninja other than the shades, hooded jackets and bugs. She was at the verge of giving up and was considering just giving the guy a gift certificate when her eyes made their way to a pair of sleek, amber-colored sunglasses._

_"Oh, now these are just_  smokin' _!" she said as she surveyed the mix of elegance and masculinity present in the design. "Might not be his thing, since I've only ever seen him wear dark-tinted eyewear, but what the hell? He can just throw it away if he doesn't like it. At least he can't say I didn't give him_  anything _." She crossed her fingers and, after taking a deep breath, peeked at the tag. "Wow! These are on sale!? Kami, thank you!" she exclaimed, eliciting a laugh from the two sales personnel. Oblivious, she rubbed her chin and addressed the said personnel, "Hey, surely you have a reason for putting these on sale. Are they damaged or anything? Please be honest because I'm gonna give these as a present."_

_"Oh no! Of course not, ma'am. Sales of units with such design and tint are usually low during this season and peak during the summer months. That is why we put them on a discount. Our company is very particular about quality control, being one of the top eyewear companies in the five major countries. Any complaints and bad publicity would surely affect our sales. Defective units are shipped to the factories and destroyed immediately," assured the saleslady._

_"Oh, is that so? I never really noticed that. I just tend to buy stuff," said the blonde with a grin. "Well then, I'll be taking one of these. Please wrap 'em up nicely, too."_

_The saleslady bowed and went behind the counter to get a new pair from the stockroom as the ones on display usually have some scratches already. She showed the pair for Ino to inspect and, after the blonde nodded in approval, took the pair to the counter to be placed in a black, padded box with the store's brand printed elegantly in bold, silver letters and wrapped it with a simple, silver ribbon. Ino paid for the item and hurried out of the shop, hearing the courteous farewells of the two personnel as she went past the threshold._

* * *

_Ino ran back to her apartment and took a quick shower to freshen up. She may not be too close to the bug-nin, but she certainly didn't want to smell like she sprayed herself with disinfectants. She was quite sure that her best friend was scrubbing herself like crazy right now to get rid of the hospital's distinct smell of asepsis. After rinsing herself and removing the massive amount of suds from her moisturizing body wash, she dried herself up and wrapped the towel over her lithe body as she went out of the bathroom to get dressed._

_The Aburame had written in the invitation that there was no need to dress up as he, himself, would probably be very casually clothed at the party. Apparently, the clan would hold a separate celebration earlier in the day which required Shino to be in very formal garments, and so he would change later as he would rather not be in such stuffy clothing the entire day. "'Wouldn't want to be in such stuffy clothing?' Hah, says the man who wears T-shirts and shorts all the time," Ino snorted. Keeping the celebrant's words in mind, she opened her dresser and picked out her usual purple attire that was neither too conservative nor too obscene. It showed off her assets nicely without making her look like an adult movie star. She dressed quickly and grabbed her blow-drier and brush to fix her hair. She decided to let her luxurious hair down tonight, so that she would at least look a little different. After she added volume and body to her hair, she powdered her face a bit and put on a small amount of make-up. She got some rose-colored lip gloss and put it on before taking her watch and spraying herself with a little floral-scented cologne. She did a few poses in front of her vanity mirror and, apparently satisfied with her looks, grabbed her gift and made her way to her tastefully decorated living room. She grabbed her weapons pouch and strapped it onto her right thigh. She took her sandals and strapped them on before looking at herself one last time at a mirror near the door. She winked at herself and then, was on her way._

* * *

_Ino was walking fairly briskly now as she was already a few minutes late. She dared not jump across the rooftops lest she accidentally drop her gift and, more importantly, arrive at the party all sweaty and smelly. She mentally cursed. She didn't expect that procuring a gift for the Aburame would take so long. 'Now where's_  Sonja  _again?' she thought as she went past the different establishments in the high-end section of the food district, 'If I remember correctly, it's just a block past_  Senbon _, so…' A boisterous laugh and a flash of blond, orange and whiskers in her peripheral vision drew her eyes to a restaurant that she almost passed. 'Ah, the fact that he's returned to his usual noisy self means they've already started without me. Well, at least the drinking part, that is.'_

_"Hey, Ino-pig. You're late," said her best friend, who was currently sipping some sake as the blonde kunoichi took the empty seat beside her. "Shino sent a messenger to inform us that we can go ahead and order something to drink already as he and his teammates will be a little late from the ceremony at the Aburame Estate."_

_The latecomer scanned the faces of the attendees, noting the significantly smaller number compared to what she expected. As if reading her mind, the shadow-nin seated across told her in his usual bored drawl, "Sasuke, Sai and Chouji still haven't returned from their B-rank mission in Kusa. They're a bit late, but the hokage's sure that there's nothing to worry about. Team Guy, on the other hand, just returned this morning from their A-rank mission in Kumo with quite a few injuries. Neji and Tenten said they may be able to catch after they get patched up and get some rest at the hospital. Apparently, Rock Lee sustained heavier injuries than the other two for attempting a head-on assault on the enemy leader. He's stable now but he'll have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. The thoughtful git still sent a present for Shino, though, and asked Sakura to give it to our celebrant in his stead." Shikamaru gestured at the beige box near the blonde's best friend._

_The blonde kunoichi merely nodded, a little surprised that the shadow-nin actually conjured enough energy to say all that to her. She noticed that he kept staring at his drink, though, just as she was unable to hold her gaze at his face for a prolonged period. The two of them had tried dating after his near-death experience with the God Tree, but they eventually broke up as Shikamaru realized that he felt more strongly for the cryptographer he had worked with to decipher Jiraiya-sama's dying message. The blonde kunoichi was deeply hurt at the time, but she'd learnt to be civil with him for the sake of their years together as a team. In time, she thought, they'd interact the same way they did all those years ago._

_Ino's thoughts were cut abruptly as an apparently indignant Sakura made a snorting sound, breaking off her conversation with her orange-clad teammate. She followed the pink-haired medical-nin's stare to the entrance and found a limping Hyūga prodigy who was supported by Tenten, who was sporting a few bandages herself. It was obvious that the pale-eyed male was in pain and was having difficulty in maintaining his usual stoic expression. Nonetheless, he bowed respectfully before taking one of the empty seats on their reserved table, the brown-haired kunoichi taking the seat next to him. Sakura was beside the pair in an instant._

_"Why the hell are you still limping, Neji?" Sakura began, obviously annoyed, "A ninja discharged from the hospital should look good as new, if not, a little weak because of chakra exhaustion. They should never be in pain upon discharge!" She quickly scanned the Hyūga and lifted his leg, placing it upon her lap and exposing it by cutting open his trousers with a chakra scalpel. The Hyūga's eyes widened considerably but made no effort to stop the slightly drunk medical-nin. He knew he was going to benefit from this, anyway. Sakura made a few seals and wove her chakra into the ninja's leg. As she was healing the leg, she continued muttering, her brows knotted while her eyes were closed, "Tell me the name of the medical-nin who fixed this, Neji, because she'll be hearing a lot from me tomorrow. Kami, why'd she jut the deep peroneal nerve right through muscle, placing it so close to the surface where your wound site still has some inflammation? Putting a perfectly healthy nerve in a sea of cytokines, arachidonic acid derivatives and complements, didn't she know she was risking causing nerve injury and neuropathic pain!? And it's named_  deep  _peroneal nerve for a freakin' reason! I'll have her retake her anatomy test, particularly in the musculoskeletal module. They'll pass_  anybody  _these days! The administrators should've known better than to have a junior medical-nin tend to one of Konoha's finest." Neji allowed himself to smile at the kunoichi's praise, though he was uncertain if this was just the effect of alcohol swimming in her system._

_The smile disappeared, however, when the said pinkette promptly divested him of his upper garments without warning to reposition his slightly anteriorly subluxed left humeral head and mend a few ribs. Quite a few females in the vicinity began eyeing his naked torso, toned from years of taijutsu use. He blushed despite himself, though the brown-haired kunoichi next to him was sporting a more brilliant shade. The pink-haired medical-nin, oblivious and apparently slightly out of her mind, took his arm and repositioned the joint with a sickening click. This earned a wince not only from Neji, but from everyone close enough to hear the sound Sakura had caused. Sakura, then, wove her chakra into the joint, mending everything damaged in the area. When she had finished, she told him, "Ah, you can make do with those little cuts here and there. Seriously, you need some scars on you skin, Neji. You make me jealous sometimes." Sakura turned to face Tenten this time._

_Ino could do nothing but shake her head in disbelief. Sakura and alcohol has long since been known to be a bad combination. 'Man, she's like Rock Lee, just less destructive,' the blonde kunoichi thought._

_"You have a small fracture at the spine of your scapula, Tenten. I'm surprised they missed it," said Sakura._

_Tenten nodded. "It_  does  _kind of hurt there and– What the hell are you doing!?" Sakura just attempted to grip the front part of Tenten's dress. Tenten's hands were quicker and she was now tightly cross-armed while staring wide-eyed at Sakura as if the latter had grown a second head._

 _Naruto's eyes nearly came out of their sockets. "Whoa, Sakura! I never knew you were into_  that _!" the blond shinobi hooted. Ino could've sworn she rolled her eyes so hard she tore one or two of her extraocular muscles. Shikamaru merely snorted._

_"Don't be such a conservative oldie, Tenten. We all know Neji has seen those, so what's the use of trying to look all modest and acting like a virgin?"_

_"I– What– We–" Neji began uncharacteristically sputtering out virtually random single-syllable words. Usually, proverbs and words of wisdom escaped those lips. Tenten was similarly uttering noises. However, hers didn't even remotely sound like words._

_Deciding to save her friend from doing anything she was going to regret tomorrow morning, Ino stood and pulled Sakura to take a seat. "Whether Neji has or hasn't seen…_  those _, isn't the problem, dear friend, but that fact that there are_  others  _watching," Ino said, gesturing to the rest of the restaurant. This seemed to knock some sense into the pinkette, who resumed sipping some sake. Naruto began chatting with her again about how he thinks Ayame from the ramen shop might have a thing for him, as she'd been adding more and more toppings to his ramen lately. Ino just sighed and poured some sake for herself and addressed the brown-haired kunoichi, "Just pass by the hospital as soon as possible, Tenten, preferably tomorrow morning." The kunoichi just nodded, loosening her grip on her dress._

_After a few minutes of idle chitchat, Shikamaru moaned about how late the celebrant was. It had been nearly half an hour and there was still no sign of the missing trio. He mentioned about how he had a meeting with the Logistics Department early tomorrow morning and this was becoming troublesome._

_As if on cue, Ino heard some "oohs" from the other customers, male and female alike. Her gaze made its way to the entrance and found a trio apparently searching for a table._

_She recognized the Hyūga heiress immediately, garbed in an elegant kimono with cloth that changed from white to pale yellow near the edges of the sleeves and at the edge of the skirt. It has splashes of reds and oranges in the form of phoenixes, pomegranate fruits and fiery flowers. Golden accents were present at the phoenixes' beaks and at the tips of each and every feather as well as near the edges of the cloth in the form of intricate, lace-like embroidery. Simply put, the kimono looked expensive enough to be worth a house. Her hair was held up into a bun with fine, jewel-encrusted golden pins, a few locks allowed to frame her breathtakingly beautiful face._

_Kiba was looking positively drool-worthy as well in a navy blue kimono and a black-and-white-striped hakama. A black haori that he presumably wore during the ceremony was idly draped on one arm. Pale blue designs danced on the kimono's normally plain cloth, proclaiming the wearer's youthful exuberance. Pale blue was a good color for the man, Ino thought, as it accentuated his nice tan. It bore more geometric and angular patterns compared to the graceful lines of Hinata's kimono, exuding a distinctly more masculine vibe. The top was a bit loose, allowing the handsome dog-nin to show off a sliver of his chiseled chest. Kiba's hair was a bit more tame than usual, allowing him to appear more sophisticated and formal. He_  did  _have to attend a formal event after all._

_Ino's eyes focused on the man in the middle who was somewhat of a misfit. He was, in no means, unattractive, but standing between the two impeccably dressed people, he looked like a peasant. 'A friend of theirs I don't know about, perhaps?' He wore a tight, black tank top, standard jōnin pants and dark blue rubber sandals. He had a handsome face and his torso looked positively luscious, the blonde decided. He looked impassive as the other two conversed with him, his bluish-gray eyes apparently scanning the restaurant for something familiar._

_"Hey! Over here, Hinata, Kiba!" yelled the blond hokage-to-be. The three looked at the source of the voice and started to make their way over._

_"We apologize for the delay," said the Hyūga heiress as she made her way to take the seat next to her cousin, asking about the results of his recently concluded mission. Naruto moved to the seat next to Hinata's and whispered something in her ear, causing the Hyūga to playfully hit the man's arm and give him a peck on the cheek. 'Cute,' thought Ino. Kiba took the seat that Naruto left and began pouring himself some sake, offering to pour some for Sakura too, as she had just emptied her choko. Sakura poked the dog-nin on the cheek and asked him who he was, because "she thought he was really hot and that she wanted to date him." Kiba just smiled one of those heart-melting smiles of his and shook his head, pouring her some liquor. The stranger took the seat next to Ino, causing the blonde to feel a bit anxious. 'Sure, he's good-looking and I wouldn't mind looking at him all night, but one wrong move and he'll find himself a eunuch in the morning.' The man called for a waiter and began conversing with the one that approached._

_"Where's our celebrant?" Tenten asked Hinata, "Was he held up at the estate by the clan elders?"_

_Kiba let out a brief laugh, getting everyone's attention. "I figured you wouldn't recognize him. He's already here."_

_'Don't tell me–' thought the blonde medical-nin, turning sharply back to the handsome stranger seated next to her whose eyes were still focused on the service personnel he was speaking to._

_"Yes, Aburame-san. Ten minutes tops," said the waiter, bowing before he scurried over to relay the man's orders to the chef. Shino turned his gaze to find everyone staring at him._

_"Yes?" he asked._

_"Is that really you, Shino!?" exclaimed an unbelieving Tenten. No other question was raised. Apparently, this was also the sole question in everyone's minds. Well,_  almost  _everyone's minds, that is. Neji had known beforehand and Shikamaru apparently deduced everything even before the three latecomers went to the table, because the two merely made small bows at him. Obviously, Kiba and Hinata already knew. Sakura was too busy poking at Kiba's chest and arms, muttering about how "hard" the handsome dog-nin was while giggling like a mad woman._

_"Yes, it's me. I suppose you're quite surprised since this is perhaps the most you've seen of me for the entire time we've known each other. It's a bit complicated to explain why we Aburame clan members dress the way we do and why some, like myself, choose to become a bit more… revealing. I suppose all I can say is that you'll be less freaked out with me since I won't be wearing the hoods and all that as often as before. By the way, I apologize if I have become rather loose-tongued. The ceremony earlier required me to take in quite a lot of alcohol and my destruction beetles haven't finished detoxifying me. Also, I plan to make them let me get a bit drunk, since I've never experienced it before and I just thought since it's my twenty-first birthday that I could go ahead and try it," explained the birthday celebrant. Majority of the people were surprised not only by the length of his reply, which was easily the most words they heard from the usually silent bug-nin in a given period of time, but also because his usually stoic face held an earnest smile._

_'Kami, he's actually_  smiling _,' thought Ino, 'and by the heavens, does he look good when he does! His skin looks so smooth! No scars whatsoever!' She mentally slapped herself for not having dressed up, even just a little._

_Shino proceeded to look at the menu again, trying to pick an appropriate dessert for the bunch so that they could be prepared already and served at any moment he pleased without any delay. Feeling someone's eyes on him, he looked up and saw the blonde kunoichi beside him staring intently at his face. Curious, he asked, "Why, Ino? Is there something on my face?" He started swiping at his cheeks to see if there was any dirt or anything._

_'The entire face_  is  _that something, bug-boy,' the kunoichi mentally replied. However, instead of embarrassing herself by speaking her mind, she simply replied, "Oh it's nothing, Shino. I'm just trying to remember your features. Who knows, you might change your mind and I might not be able to see your face again." She elbowed him a little to indicate her jesting. The moment her elbow touched his muscular arm, though, she felt a spark ignite within her that left her with a warmth that refused to ebb. 'Kami, I think I'm blushing! C'mon vessels, constrict a little for me, please? Okay, I just talked to my arteries. I'm really going crazy this time.'_

 _"Ino, you seem a bit flushed. You haven't drunk a lot, have you? Am I really_  that  _late?" asked the bug-nin looking at his watch._

 _'It seems that ceremonial liquor has dulled his wit to some degree. Else, he would've already figured out that I'm blushing because of_  him _. Thank kami for small favors,' the blonde kunoichi thought. "Actually Shino, I'm… a fast acetylator. Yeah, that's it. That's why I get red even with just little alcohol," she replied. 'Tsunade-sama, thanks for the lecture on pharmacokinetics,' Ino thought, mentally singing praises to the liquor-loving woman._

 _"Oh yes, I've read about that from somewhere." Shino's attention was apparently caught by something else. With a simply delectable fragrance becoming stronger as time progressed, it didn't take Ino much contemplation to know what it was. "It seems the orders I made have been prepared already. That was a bit fast even by their standards. I might have to give them a big tip tonight," Shino said, smiling at the first waiter who arrived at their table who looked simply thrilled, hearing about the tip comment. "From what I remember, only a few of you have dined here in_  Sonja  _before. Hinata and Neji have both dined here before. Kiba too–"_

_"Ooh, I have!" interjected the pink-haired medical-nin, raising her hand straight up like a student asking to be called by the teacher. The way she said it caused people to assume that she would say something more, making them lean forward subconsciously in expectance. However, she merely giggled a little and proceeded to bug Kiba some more. The dog-nin didn't seem to mind the attention. 'I know he's handled worse situations with his fangirls,' mentally added Ino._

_After a brief chuckle, Shino continued. "Anyway, allow me to brief you a little about it. It's primarily a vegetarian restaurant–" Shino was again interrupted, this time by a small groan coming from Naruto, making the Hyūga heiress elbow her boyfriend and give him a stern look. "Don't worry, Naruto. I ordered a special bowl of tofu ramen for you. It may be lack meat, but I assure you, it's certainly not lacking in flavor. Ask Kiba. He's eaten here quite a number of times and he can attest that the food here is quite good despite lacking his favorite ingredient."_

_"Hey Shino, you're making it look like those times were the_  only  _times I've eaten veggies," said Kiba._

_"Well, I kinda assumed you're an exclusive meat-eater like Naruto there. I mean, looking at both of you, I can tell you have protein-rich diets," Ino said, "Also, your clan–"_

_Kiba huffed a little. "Hey, just because my clan's affiliated with canines, doesn't mean we're all sirloin steaks and lamb chops. You think all of us would want to have colon cancer? Besides, tofu and legumes have lots of protein too."_

_Ino raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! White flag waving here! I'm sorry! It was wrong of me to assume so much. I apologize."_

_Kiba chuckled, crossing his arms. "Hey, I'm not mad. I just wanted to clarify things."_

_His intoxicated pink-haired seatmate apparently found this as the perfect time to wrap her arms around one of his and grope his biceps. "Mmm, so much protein," she said while leaning on one of his deltoids, oblivious to the death glares some of the other "interested" parties in the vicinity directed towards her. She proceeded to enumerate the twenty amino acids after that. Kiba just sniggered and focused on his drink, allowing the kunoichi to do as she pleased._

_'This girl is_  smashed _!' Ino thought, 'Maybe I should ask Naruto to take her to her apartment already… Ah, what the hell. She's enjoying herself and Kiba doesn't seem to be all too bothered by the attention. If I didn't know better, I'd think he even_  likes  _it. Ah, he's an attention whore anyway. I'll just leave her be and let the hangover do the lecturing tomorrow.'_

_By this time, the table was full of a variety of dishes: a variety of salads, a vegetable platter with a tangy dip, fried potatoes with a garlic dip, vegetable tempura, beansprout rolls, cabbage rolls, there were even tofu burgers with a barbeque dressing made with molasses and a gamut of spices. As for drinks, the bug-nin asked for a specific blend of fruit juices. The sight was a vegan's vision of culinary heaven. 'Hell, even a non-vegetarian like me wouldn't mind being offered such a selection for the rest of my days,' thought the blonde, now very aware that she had entered the cephalic phase of gastric secretion._

_"I think you know where to get menus, as you've been here for quite some time. If there's anything you wish to order, do not hesitate to do so." The others merely nodded, but most of them were convinced that they wouldn't need to, given the sheer volume and variety of food the man had ordered._

_"Well then, dig in, everyone!" said the slightly-drunk birthday celebrant, an uncharacteristic grin present on his face. Looking at him, Ino couldn't help but let one grace her lips as well._

* * *

_The group ate in relative silence, with the occasional bickering between Kiba and Naruto and comments from a thoroughly inebriated Sakura. Ino tried several times to start some small talk with Shino, but frequently found herself at a loss for words, a rarity for the beautiful blonde who always had something to say in most occasions._

_While dining, the tall Aburame asked them to make their orders for dessert already, as he was unable to do so earlier. Shikamaru and Neji declined the offer and simply resumed drinking their sake. Hinata asked for apple tarts with an apricot and mint glaze. Naruto, unfamiliar with most of the selection, just asked for a slice of apple pie. Kiba ordered some fresh strawberries with a red wine sabayon. Sakura, despite her drunkenness, was able to make a coherent sentence and ordered for a cranberry and chocolate panini. Ino asked for a serving of warm apricot soufflé. It was only when everyone had made their orders did Shino make his own, asking for fresh fruit compote with wine. Within a few minutes, the group had resumed their chitchat while dining on their saccharine delights and drinking some sake as well._

_"Their mapo tofu is as good as ever. I would've preferred a bit of lean pork in it, though," said Kiba while biting into a strawberry slice. The others nodded, recalling how the spicy tofu dish single-handedly became the center of attention during the main course. Even Naruto, whose diet revolved around meat and ramen, nodded in agreement. Sakura had no response, for she was already asleep. The dog-nin had taken the pink-haired kunoichi's head and placed it on his lap, lest she dirty herself by sleeping with her face flat on the table._

_"I don't know. It was certainly good, but I think it was a bit too spicy for me. I ended up eating more rice than I had intended just to get rid of the heat on my tongue," said Ino while licking her fingers to rid it of stickiness. She turned to look at Shino for his opinion, only to see him staring at her, or more specifically, the index finger currently stuck inside her mouth. She licked it clean, making a subtle popping sound as it escaped the confines of her mouth, her brows raised in puzzlement. 'Oh! Is he disgusted by my eating habits?' she thought, quickly folding her hands on her lap and smiling at him demurely. The bug-nin averted his gaze and said that the dish in discussion had always been one of this restaurant's bestsellers. He smiled and said that he was glad that his friends enjoyed it._

_Without warning, Sakura's head came zooming up from Kiba's lap and would've hit the dog-nin's chin had he not been fast enough to evade it. "Gift-giving time!" she screeched, before wobbling and falling face first into the table. Thankfully, alcohol had not dulled the dog-nin's reflexes as he caught the medical-nin before she crashed and ruined her nose on the table. The entire group chuckled as Kiba replaced Sakura's head on his lap, shaking his head at the drunk medical-nin's antics. 'Always the gentleman,' Ino thought._

_"I guess Sakura's right," said Shikamaru as he reached behind his seat and took out a rather hastily wrapped gift. "Here's mine. I couldn't think anything grand or unique, so I just got you something I know you'd find useful." Shino opened the gift. It was a new weapons pouch. He thanked the shadow-nin, who greeted him again and said it was… no trouble. 'Well,_  that's  _something new,' thought Ino._

_"Neji and I decided to just give you a joint present. We hope you like it," said Tenten._

_"Sheesh, the two of you are already behaving like a married couple. Why not get hitched already?" said Kiba, earning a threatening look from the male Hyūga, which would've been threatening had his cheeks not been so flushed._

_The group laughed at the expense of the two while Shino bowed and thanked them. He opened the box and saw a pair of black ninja sandals. He had heard of this brand and knew that it boasted such durability. Ino let out a low whistle as this brand was a bit expensive._

_"Here's mine! Here's mine!" said Naruto, handing the Aburame an envelope. Ino and the others rolled their eyes, others made snorting sounds, while still others sighed._

_"Let me guess, Naruto – thirty meal coupons from Ichiraku?" asked Ino in a bored drawl not unlike something that would escape Shikamaru's mouth._

_"Not just_  thirty _, but_  sixty _! You also get to choose from their wide selection and can even get the most expensive ones for free!"_

_"Thank you, Naruto," said Shino, "I'm sure I'll be able to use up all of these coupons at some point in time, as well as the ones you gave to me last year, and the year before that, and… You get the idea." Naruto just gave him a thumbs up and said it was his pleasure, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm dripping from the bug-nin's tongue._

_Shikamaru grabbed the beige box in front of the snoozing Sakura. "This is Rock Lee's present. He would've wanted to give it to you personally, but as you know, he's still at the hospital."_

_Shino took the box from the shadow-nin and opened it. The others leaned back a little, preparing to shield their eyes should the taijutsu expert's gift cause corneal scarring. Shino lifted the contents of the box for all to see. It was a hooded jacket…_

_A_  green  _hooded jacket…_

 _…that was made of_  spandex _._

_Neji and Tenten just dropped their heads in defeat while Kiba urged Shino to stuff it back into the box as quickly as he could. "How very… verdant. I suppose I could use it for camouflage should I get a mission to Kusa," said Shino._

_"Here's Sakura's," said his best friend, reaching behind Sakura's seat to get a neatly wrapped box with a yellow bow on top. "Hmm, it's quite heavy. Must contain a lot of books," said the dog-nin, already certain of the contents based on previous experience. Sure enough, the box contained several books on taijutsu. It had a note inside that read,_ "You told me before that you think your taijutsu needs some work. Here are a few books that Tsunade-shishō recommended to me. They contain mid- to high-level taijutsu techniques that complement you projectile type of attacking. Have fun!"  _Shino gazed at the pink-haired kunoichi's sleeping form, whispering his silent thanks._

_The Hyūga heiress rose gracefully from her seat and brought him a box. She was quite careful, indicating that the contents were fragile. Shino carefully opened the box and took out the contents. There were several "wows" and "oohs" from the group. Hinata's gift was a porcelain tea set. The pottery was filled with exquisite hand-painted images of artistically rendered destruction beetles and some beige flowers. The fact that Shino had never seen any artwork with destruction beetles as the subject made him realize that this set was made specifically for him by a skilled artisan at the Hyūga heiress's personal request. He was superbly touched by this gesture and bowed deeply to his teammate, voicing out his thanks. A flustered Hinata waved her hand at Shino, telling him not to bow to her like that._

_"I suppose it's my turn, eh, buddy?" said Kiba. He took a blue box from behind him dumped it in front of his best friend. "There. I think you'll like it a lot. It's very…_  cool _," the dog-nin said, a mischievous smile on his handsome face._

_Shino opened one end and peered inside. He looked at Kiba, brows knotted, seemingly asking for a clue but receiving none. He looked back into the box. It looked like a flashlight, but was bigger at around one and a quarter feet long and was made of clear plastic. He tried to search for a switch but found none. Befuddled by his friend's gift, Shino grasped it and began to take it out of the box. He examined the gadget, peering inside to see a clear, gel-like content. It was nearly out of the box when the Aburame saw the imprinted name, his eyes widening significantly in a flash of recognition. Swiftly, he chucked the apparatus back into box and stared at his friend with incredulity. Ino had never seen the bug-nin blush so hard!_

_"Kiba!" shouted the clearly uncomfortable Aburame._

_"Well, I went to the company head personally to have one made for me since the ones they have on sale are inadequate for my, uh, possessions. They agreed to make a few units that would, er, fit me. Apparently, nobody had come to them bearing such a complaint. Geez, the female staff members were blushing like crazy at the time. The chief even pleaded me to model it for the company! It was quite funny, really. Anyway, since I know your, uh, possessions as you know mine, I figured you'd be pushing the limits of their regular units, so I went ahead and gave you one of the special units they made for me," explained the dog-nin, apparently having difficulty in choosing his words in his effort to keep the conversation as vague as possible for the others._

_It seemed that only Shikamaru was aware of the identity of the gift as he let out a low whistle, his brain deducing several facts about the two men based on Kiba's statement. "Damn! A few men are just lucky, I suppose," the shadow-nin muttered, a hint of envy lacing his voice. The others just shrugged and let it go because they couldn't understand what the three were talking about no matter how much they tried._

_Shino looked around nervously, assessing if Kiba's words were heard by anyone who shouldn't have. After a few moments, he sighed in relief. "Thank kami no one else heard your speech, Kiba. What were you thinking!? You know how gossip spreads like wildfire around here. I don't want to be hounded by fangirls all over the place," hissed the irritated Aburame._

_"Then you shouldn't have chosen to rid yourself of the shades and the multiple layers of clothes," declared Neji, "Face it, Shino, you are an attractive man. I know several of your family members have told you so before just as I am telling you so now. Therefore, destruction beetles or no, you_  will  _start to have fangirls hounding you from now on."_

_'Damn right on all accounts, Hyūga boy!' Ino mentally hollered._

_"Er, thanks, Neji," said the handsome bug-nin. Whether from a friend or not, it's still quite awkward to be told that you're good-looking by another man. "Well, I suppose I was only conjecturing that it wouldn't grow as fast if nobody heard about what Kiba said."_

_"What_  was  _it about, Shino?" said the blonde medical-nin, annoyed that she didn't catch on as quickly as she usually does, "C'mon, tell me. And what was Kiba's gift? Can I peek? I only saw that it looked like a see-through flash–"_

_"No!" Shino exclaimed. Seeing the blonde look upset at his outburst, he quickly revised it and said, "I mean, believe me, you wouldn't want to, Ino." The blonde girl pouted, unconvinced._

_"Hey, you haven't thanked me for my gift yet," the dog-nin interjected, placing a hand upon his chest and feigning a hurt expression._

_The Aburame remained quiet for a few moments, his bluish-gray eyes not meeting Kiba's pitch black ones, before muttering his thanks, flushing as he did so._

_"Well, tell me once you use it, okay? Tell me if you enjoyed it. I sure as hell did. Not a replacement for the real thing, though. I bet you'll use it right after this part–"_

_"Shut it, Kiba."_

_"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you will, so you don't have to report it to me," said the dog-nin._

_After a while, the Hyūga heiress was able to note something amiss. "Ino," said Hinata, "you haven't given Shino your gift yet."_

_Ino paused for a while before smiling shyly. "Can I just give it to him personally later? I mean,_  you  _had a famous artisan hand-paint specialized pottery for Shino. Kiba actually went to a company's chief to make several personalized… thingies for himself, one of which he ended up giving to Shino as it was 'fit' for him too." Shino coughed uncomfortably at the aptness of Ino's statement despite her lack of knowledge regarding the details of the matter. "My gift would seem so pathetic and insignificant," finished the blonde, shrinking into her seat._

 _"Nonsense, Ino," stated Hinata, "A gift is a gift, and it is never measured by its monetary worth but by how much of_  yourself  _you give with it."_

_Ino thought really hard for some time. 'Okay, that really didn't help me much, Hinata. It only made me think about how lacking my knowledge of proverbs is,' mentally ranted the blonde. She sighed and gave in. "Oh, alright! Here you go. Just don't look too disappointed, got it? Dare to make a crestfallen face and I'll switch bodies with you and– Oh, so help me kami, you'll regret it!" The blonde medical-nin dumped the gift box on the bug-nin's hands and turned away._

_The bug-nin recognized the name on the box immediately and proceeded to open it. "Oh my," he said._

_"Whoa! Nice!" said the dog-nin._

_"I applaud your taste, Ino," stated the Hyūga heiress, "Very sophisticated."_

_"Sleek!" shouted the blond hokage-to-be._

_Hearing positive comments from the rest of the bunch, Ino slowly turned to see Shino's reaction. She was quite relieved what she saw. 'Well at least he doesn't seem to hate it, thank kami.' The handsome bug-nin unfolded the frame and slipped them on. She couldn't quite assess how they looked on him because she was only seeing a side profile. She wished she could at least see if it didn't make him look like a blind beach bum._

_As if hearing her thoughts, Shino turned to face her. "How does it look on me?" he asked. Ino's world went into slow motion._

_It was like watching an advertisement. Ever so slowly, the handsome bug-nin went from a side profile, which accentuated his beautiful nose, to face her. Ino looked at his black hair that swayed briefly from the motion, carelessly spiked and wild as if he just had rough, passionate, untamed sex; at his intense and calculating eyes cloaked in amber; his nose; his luscious lips that were, oh, so kissable; his strong and masculine jaw; going lower to his neck that just begged to be licked and sucked; to his broad shoulders, toned arms, chest and back that boasted of enough power to lift you as he made passionate love to you against a wall, supporting you as he speared you with his magnificent length again and again; to his abs that would ripple and contract every time he drew his pelvis to slam against yours, filling the vacuum between your legs with the hard pillar of desire between his; to–_

_"It doesn't look good?"_

_Silence._

_"Wha?" Ino asked dumbly._

_"It doesn't suit me?" rephrased the Aburame, now completely pulling the blonde kunoichi out of La La Land._

_"O-oh no! It suits you. It looks really good on you," she replied more coherently this time. She placed her hands on her hips. "You're questioning the fashion sense of the ever-updated Yamanaka Ino?" she inquired, an elegant brow raised in mock anger. Shino just smiled, leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before facing the others and asking the same question. 'Did he just– Was that a– I think he–' She could've sworn she felt as if she had a cardiac arrest. The blonde kunoichi began fanning herself and hyperventilating. Deep inside, she was squealing with giddiness from both the kiss and the scorching hot fantasy before that._

_The bug-nin faced her again after a while, a smile gracing his handsome face. "Thanks a lot, Ino. I've always wanted one of these. I really like it."_

_As she bowed slightly at the sexy bug-nin, a thought entered Ino's mind. She rubbed her chin, appearing contemplative. "Well, I know you're certainly not lacking in finances, so why haven't you bought a pair yourself? You just said that you really like such designs."_

_Shino paused and appeared as if he were thinking deeply about what to reply, or perhaps if he was to reply at all._

_"Oh, it's fine, Shino. Don't worry about it. I can understand if it's confidential," replied the blonde medical-nin, waving a hand in front of her, signifying that it was indeed nothing to be guilty over. The bug-nin appeared as if he wanted to say something but was cut off when Naruto directed a question at him._

_"Speaking of confidential stuff, I'm just curious, Shino, what exactly went on in that ceremony thing you had earlier?" asked the whiskered shinobi from across the table. "I mean, you said you had to drink a lot. What's up with that? Hinata and Kiba saw it, right? I suppose that means it's not top secret information."_

_Hinata cradled her head in her hand. An intoxicated Naruto was always so nosy and obnoxious, just like he was when he was younger. What annoyed her was that she couldn't help but be drawn to that naughty and impish side of him. The fact that the man was gorgeous as hell, very… gifted in more ways than one, and fiercely loyal certainly helped as well._

_"I'm sorry, Naruto, but it's a clan secret. They only allowed Kiba and Hinata to watch since they've been my teammates since I was twelve and are deemed almost part of the family. If I told you, I'd have to swarm you with destruction beetles and have them suck up your chakra 'til you end up looking like a mummy," said the Aburame, the smirk present in his lips indicative that he was merely gibing about the last bit._

_Hinata briskly lifted her bowed head. "Not if I have anything to say about it, Shino," said the Hyūga heiress, a smirk on her lips. "Do you think I'd just let your beetles suck my Naruto dry just like that? You'd have to get them past my_  Spiral Protection of the Eight Trigrams: A Thousand and Twenty-Four Palms  _first."_

_A pregnant pause._

_"Are you threatening my beetles, Hinata-_ sama _?" the bug-nin said, taking off the amber-tinted sunglasses and staring straight into the pale eyes of one of the most powerful kunoichi in the five great nations._

 _"Well, you threatened my Naruto first, Shino-_ kun _," replied the heiress succinctly, her ivory gaze unfaltering, challenging, confident._

 _Naruto could never really pinpoint when exactly Hinata learned "the gaze" but it always made him swell with pride when entire enemy platoons backed down when she gave them one. Of course the pride thing didn't apply when_  he  _was the one on the receiving end of "the gaze." Well, it was true that he could still best her in battle, but it's still scary as hell._

 _The two teammates stared at each other, gazes steady, unblinking, a physical clash imminent. Naruto was beginning to feel nervous as he felt the tension rise to dangerous heights. 'What the hell are they doing!? And all this because I asked about some trivial thing!? Geez! And they tell me_  I'm  _shallow!' "Hey, Shino, Hinata, c'mon, cut it out! I didn't–"_

_The corner of Hinata's mouth twitched, as did Shino's. In less than ten seconds the teammates were already gasping for air as they proceeded to laugh their heads off. The rest of the bunch, excluding the Team 7 members, joined in with their various demonstrations of mirth._

_"Kami, you two really scared me!" shouted an agitated Naruto, "I really thought I had caused you two to get seriously pissed at each other! That's it! I'm not touching that tokkuri anymore, lest I become too smashed to realize that I'm already at the receiving end of one of your pranks." The blond shinobi was now cross-armed and pouting – something that really didn't fit a grown ninja, more so for someone considered to be the deadliest man alive. Hinata was quick to appease the man with a quick peck on the cheek and a whisper to his ear which caused both of them to blush._

_The sound of Shino's laughter, it was such a foreign sound to Ino's ears. It was so deep and alluring, filled with such mirth and sincerity. She wanted to hear it more often, his laugh. She wanted to be there when he laughed, to be the one who would cause the sound to escape his lips…_

* * *

'It's a shame he never really became as liberated as that again,' the blonde thought, 'Sure, he kept his word about the clothes and shades thing, and I'm ecstatic that he did, but sure I wish he kept on being less formal. It made him so much less boring and so much more… approachable.'

She sighed into her fluffy pillow. Ino never told anyone about this newfound obsession, not even her best friend. She had wondered why for some time, but she knew that she already had the answer…

She was afraid.

Every single man she had ever desired had always desired  _her_  first. 'Save for Sasuke, of course, but that person's asexual, so he doesn't really count.' Every man whose name she had asked at some bar had always known  _hers_  beforehand. No man she had ever been with dared defy her whims, for they knew there were many others who were more than willing to replace him.

But now it was different.

Now she was head over heels for someone she had never given a second glance to before. 'Well, maybe once or twice. He  _does_  have a sexy voice, is tall and is an excellent ninja, after all.' Never before had she felt so alive just being in a man's presence, so inspired to improve herself so that she would be worthy of an elite ninja from a distinguished clan. She had never wanted a man so much in her entire life…

…and she didn't know if  _he_  wanted  _her_.

For the first time in her life, the gorgeous, irresistible Yamanaka Ino felt uncertain of herself as a woman. "How come the one time I really fall hard for a man, it turns out like this? Sure, he gave me a peck on the cheek and smiled at me, but that could've been just because he was drunk, or because he was happy with the gift, or maybe both. He never really warmed up to me again after that," the blonde muttered to herself.

And so to protect herself, her pride, she decided that she would hide her feelings, at least until she was certain of how he felt. She interacted with him in her usual playful and flirty demeanor, while deep inside, hoping,  _pleading_  to the kami above that she could get the slightest hint that he was also interested in taking their relationship further. Much to her dismay, he had always seemed stiff and uninterested, but always cordial and respectful. 'Damn it! I don't want you bowing at me and inviting me to tea parties, you stupid bug-nin! I want you to kiss me, to ravish me, to… want me. Why are you so damn slow!? Why won't you just confess already!? I know you want me! I… I…'

'Don't you?'

She rolled to the other side, and reached over, poking the stuffed cartoon butterfly near her lampshade. The toy began to wobble slightly, the force she applied causing the spring which attached the model to the base to sway slightly from side to side. A small chuckle escaped her lips at the adorable replica, a single tear running down to wet her lilac sheets. Her eyes wandered to her alarm clock, which read–

"Holy sh–"

The blonde kunoichi was out of her bed in a split-second. Having no time to think about her fashion sense, she dashed towards her closet and grabbed a random top as well as a random pair of pants. She pulled at one of the drawers designated for her underwear and took out a piece as well. She swiftly closed the closet and rushed to the living room, and from there, to the door. She put on her sandals using her right hand, her left already on the doorknob. After getting her footwear on, she opened the door quickly and slammed it shut, before jumping to the nearest rooftop.

As she was traveling, she let out a small laugh, wiping her left eye with her right hand, her left arm currently preoccupied with the bundle of clothes she got from her apartment. 'Geez, dramatic moments really don't suit me. Thank kami Sakura wasn't around. She'd have laughed at her bubbly friend having an emo moment,' she mused. 'Anyway, I just gotta keep at it and stay positive. I'm sure things will turn out okay. Just stay focused, Ino, and you'll get your prize soon enough, and what a prize it'll be!'


	3. Part 3

Ino arrived at  _Vapor Style_  just a couple of minutes late. 'Thank goodness!' she thought, 'And I was the one who set the time! What would Shino think of me?' She mentally berated herself for dozing off while walking down memory lane. 'Well, it's not my fault my bed's so fluffy and nice that anyone could easily fall asleep once there. My dad was the one who picked out the mattress and pillows and all, after all.'

She stood outside the entrance, walking back and forth as she waited for the handsome duo to arrive. Five minutes passed and there was still no sign of the two. She was now tinkering with some keychains and assorted goodies from the accessory stall across the bathhouse entrance. 'What's taking them so long?' she mentally asked, 'Is Tsunade-sama pissed at some mission objective that they failed to meet? Could it be–'

"Hey, Ino!" she heard for the second time that day.

She looked up from the small, pink, heart-shaped pillow she was scrutinizing to see Kiba and Shino at the entrance of the hot springs. Ino promptly felt herself have a miniature orgasm.

The two sexy jōnin were wearing only white towels draped dangerously low around their waists.

She heard Kiba "tsk" as he walked across the street to fetch her. She eyed the handsome dog-nin, every detail of his finely sculpted body illuminated by the bright sunlight, and thought, 'Damn, Sakura, you have no fucking idea what you're missing! You chose your little slice of heaven in the form of your tub over a humungous slice– correction,  _two_  humungous slices of heaven right here!' At her peripheral vision, she saw a good portion of the women lose consciousness while others blushed so deep a shade of red you'd think they were giant tomatoes that had grown faces and bodies. Others let out audible gasps and moans, sounding as if they were having orgasms just from looking at the man. "Interested" parties, and there was a  _lot_  of them, eyed Kiba's chiseled form, desire rolling off them in waves, as the jōnin casually walked the distance to fetch Ino. The young saleslady's knees promptly gave out, making her fall unceremoniously on the seat behind her as the tall and well-built dog-nin approached the stall. Apparently this was the first time she had ever been privy to quite a show despite her stall having been in front of the hot springs for a few months.

"What're you doing here? We've been waiting for you for twenty minutes," said the dog-nin, clearly unhappy with her tardiness. Ino mentally slapped her palm on her forehead.

'Right. You should've at least checked if they were  _inside_  already when you didn't see them outside, you dumb blonde!' she thought. "I'm sorry. I thought you would wait outside. When I didn't see you, I assumed you were running late–"

"Me? Late?" Kiba scoffed. 'Ah, right. This is Kiba, one of fastest ninja in the five great nations, we're talking about here. Even if Tsunade-sama had dismissed them at 9:57, he would've made it in time.'

"Well, I couldn't exactly go prancing around in the males' changing room to look for you guys, you know? Plus, I apologized already. What more do you want?" challenged the blonde medical-nin.

She heard another set of gasps and looked around to find that the tall Aburame was making his way towards them. Just as with Kiba, she eyed the man as he approached the stall. He was taller than his brown-haired teammate by around a couple of inches and his skin was fairer. He was a tad leaner than Kiba, but was far from scrawny. Her eyes roved over his defined musculature, subconsciously licking her lips as she did. 'Sakura, you unlucky git! You were smashed during his party so you don't remember seeing him in a tight tank top and wearing the shades I gave him that made him look like a movie star! Now you're not around to see him parading his gorgeous body to the world because you're scrubbing the gunk off your armpits!' Ino heard a soft thump. She turned her head and found that the saleslady had just passed out. It appeared that having two practically naked, good-looking and chiseled men within a few feet of her was simply too much for the poor girl's heart to handle.

"What's taking you two so long? Let us continue inside and fulfill our purpose in coming here," said Shino.

"You know what, he's right. Let's just go in and enjoy ourselves. C'mon," the dog-nin concurred.

Without further ado, the trio started walking back across the street to enter the hot springs, the blonde kunoichi flanked on either side by a gorgeous and scantily clad jōnin. The amount of envy in the air was so much that the medical-nin could almost feel it physically. 'You should be thanking me, numbskulls! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been able to avail of that show.'

Before she made it past the threshold, she heard several angry yells and a familiar voice yelling apologies straight back. She looked back and was greeted with the image of a beefy blond in nothing but a pair of ramen-patterned blue boxers and black sandals running at full speed towards Hokage Mountain. She heard him blabber about being late for a graciously rescheduled photoshoot for a magazine that'd be coming out in a few days' time. A few seconds after the pseudo-streak by the hunky hokage-to-be, Ino scanned the area. 'Kami, it's like some enemy nation just attacked and performed a massive genjutsu at the population,' she thought, making a mental tally of the number of unconscious people being tended to.

'These boys just make me so damn proud sometimes,' she finished with a giggle, turning around and finally entering the establishment.

* * *

The trio's stay at the coed pool was nice enough, though it could've been better. The amount of people that kept on hovering around the attractive bunch proved to be quite distracting. As such, the three shinobi weren't able to relax as much as they would've wanted.

Initially, Kiba and Shino talked to Ino about their recently-concluded mission, at least the information that wasn't classified. After this, the conversation simply took off and they began conversing about various topics.

"This is really great. The staff has really taken good care of this place," noted Ino.

"I suppose it's more out of respect than out of profit," the lounging dog-nin told her, "After all, this place was created by the Shodaime Hokage."

Ino chuckled. "You know, I've been seriously considering asking Tenzou-san if he would be gracious enough to make one right outside the main Yamanaka residence. If he would agree, I seriously wouldn't mind living in my parents' house again."

"Actually," replied Kiba, "I've asked him before to make a few in the Inuzuka Estate. However, he said that wasn't capable of such feats just yet. He said it involves more of proficiency in doton and suiton techniques as separate entities rather than the combination of the two as mokuton, which is what he's more proficient in right now. After all, the Shodaime Hokage had to shift subterranean lava flows a bit closer to the village as well as alter the flow of underground streams before carving out this pool with a doton technique. The trees around the pool were created by his mokuton techniques, which is why no one dares break even the tiniest branch."

"Each branch looks the way it does because the Shodaime Hokage wanted it to," input Shino, "With a mokuton technique, every fiber, every  _molecule_  of the tree follows your every whim. These trees show us the artistic sensibilities of the man who single-handedly created this village. You could think of these trees as living sculptures left behind by a legendary figure."

"Ever the poet, eh, Shino?" commented Kiba. "Anyway, I'll have to ask the both of you to excuse me. I'll be returning to the estate now. My sister said she wanted to ask me about the doton technique I was working on before I left for the mission." The dog-nin stood up to leave.

"By the way, Kiba, I wanted to ask you about something," began the blonde kunoichi, a little distracted by the water droplets that were cascading down the sexy dog-nin's body, not to mention the wet towel that now clung to his hips and to… certain places. Thank goodness the towel was thick; else, she would've seen  _everything_  the man had to offer. 'Not that I would mind, actually,' thought the blonde.

"What is it, Ino?"

"I'm pretty sure you've noticed that Sakura's been acting a bit strange lately. Do you have any idea what's up with her?"

The dog-nin smirked and replied, "I suppose it would be best if you asked her yourself, babe." The medical-nin pouted at the inadequacy of the reply. "Anyway," continued the brown-haired jōnin, "if that's all, then I'll be on my way. It was nice hanging out with the both of you. I'll see you when I see you, buddy." The Aburame grunted in acknowledgment.

With that, the brown-haired jōnin got out of the pool and headed for the men's changing room. Quite a number of girls and some "men" left as well, following him, apparently hoping that the wet towel would reveal interesting details about the hunky ninja. Ino just stared at the broad expanse of the man's muscular back as well as the towel that clung to his luscious behind. She mentally wolf whistled. 'Whoever that man chooses to be his girl is going to be one deliriously happy woman.  _I_  wouldn't mind being that woman if only I weren't so interested in someone else.' The blonde kunoichi shifted her gaze to the handsome ninja just a couple of feet from her. 'Still,' her thoughts returning to Kiba, 'there was definitely something behind that smirk of his…'

Ino stiffened as the sexy bug-nin let out a deep moan. Shino shifted a little, lifting his torso out of the warm water so that it went just above his waist. He braced both arms against the rocks behind him and let his head fall back, closing his eyes and letting a slightly louder moan escape his lips. Ino shivered this time at the alluring sound. 'Kami, two moans and I'm quivering with desire here! Damn it!' silently cursed the bothered kunoichi. She observed the mild rosy hue that his usual pale skin had acquired thanks to the hot water. She bit her lower lip a little as she noted how his wet and muscular chest rose and fell slowly as he breathed and how his Adam's apple bobbed every now and then. Her blue eyes fell upon his biceps and noted the prominent cephalic veins running across the developed muscles. Add to the eye candy the fact that only two sheets of cloth and some water were separating their naked bodies…

Ino swallowed. Hard. 'Damn it! I want to lick those veins and nibble on that meat! Scrap that! I want to lick and nibble  _all_  of him! Shit! I need  _something_  to take my mind off this… this… Ah!' mentally deliberated the blonde medical-nin. 'Think, you dumb blonde! Think! Maybe… Maybe talking about other stuff like jutsu or his family or beetles will help. Yeah, that's it. Any topic will do.'

"So…"

The bug-nin's eyes opened and focused on the beautiful kunoichi a few feet away.

"…you like prancing around half-naked?"

Silence.

'Fuck.'

The handsome jōnin merely closed his eyes and let his head go back to its previous position. "I don't." Ino visibly relaxed. The raven-haired hunk did not get offended by her question, it seemed. "Why do that when you can go all the way? I go  _au naturel_  in my apartment. Visitors are very rare anyway. And if they  _do_  come, I can just slip on a pair of briefs, boxers or just wrap a towel around my waist."

Ino froze, her mind not being able to completely process that tidbit. 'D-did he just say–'

"I also sleep in the nude," continued the man, "The destruction beetles get better ventilation that way. I can tell they really appreciate it after being enclosed in so much clothing for most of the day. It can't be helped. Excessive vitamin D from sunlight exposure makes them uncomfortable, more so than being in a warm and stuffy environment. I'm slowly starting to make them get used to vitamin D by taking off some layers every now and then, as you may have noticed."

'Oh… my…'

"Besides, I'm also a man. I'm sure as a medical-nin you know how frequently we men get aroused. By going  _au naturel_ , I have easy access to my dick. Should I get horny and acquire an erection, I need only reach down and grasp it with both of my hands, stroke it for quite some time and achieve and mind-blowing orgasm. I do end up making a mess most of the time, though, since I cum a lot and quite powerfully so I have to clean up every time I jack off."

Ino was quite sure she had suffered from a stroke, died and had gone to fangirl heaven. She had never heard the bug-nin speak with such coarse language. It…  _excited_  her to hear him say such words. She was feeling so hot right now she wondered why the water around her hadn't started vaporizing. She resembled a fish, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. Shino's eyes opened and locked onto hers in a positively smoldering gaze.

For a few moments, neither spoke a word.

"I was kidding, Ino," stated the bug-nin simply, before letting his head roll back once more.

"O-of course! I knew that!" Ino thanked her brain for coming up with a speedy and appropriate reply. She hoped he didn't notice the intense reaction he had incited in her because of his kinky and vivid statements. "I mean, who would–"

"Some of those words are true, though," added the chiseled Aburame, "Exactly which of them are, you'll just have to find out. Of course, that is  _if_  you are interested in finding out."

Ino let out a dreadfully fake chuckle. "And who told you that I am? Of course I'm n–"

In a blur of movement, Ino found herself with her back against a rock and the gorgeous Aburame's face mere inches from her own, his powerfully built body so close to hers but not touching it, a toned arm on either side of her head. Ino began to hyperventilate at the hunky ninja's proximity. He leaned closer. She gasped.

"You're not? Such a shame, then. You don't know what you're missing," he whispered breathily into her right ear.

Just as quickly as he came at her, he was gone and was now walking towards the changing room, waving his farewell without looking back. He was followed by another set of perverted hopefuls.

Ino slid deeper into the warm water. 'Y-you… You damn tease!' she mentally bellowed.


	4. Part 4

It had been one week since Sakura returned from the mission to Kiri with Kiba and Shino, and Ino could only describe the pinkette as gradually getting worse. The medical-nin's tendency to space out, spontaneously flush and excuse herself to go to the restroom had increased as the days went on. Sakura's behavior had caused Ino and several of her superiors, including Tsunade, to become alarmed. Absence seizures were considered by the blonde hokage and so she hooked Sakura to an electroencephalogram several times. The absence of the classic 3-Hz spikes and any epileptiform activity in general even when the pink-haired kunoichi seemed to be having an "attack" caused the hokage to scrap the diagnosis. Ino even suggested that the girl might have kidney problems. The only comfort they had was that Sakura said that she wasn't suffering from anything organic. However, the kunoichi said that she could not say anything more than that. And so the hokage simply trusted her apprentice's clinical acumen and let her be, asking Ino to take note of any changes in symptomatology.

These changes in behavior also annoyed the blonde kunoichi because she hadn't been able to have a normal conversation with her best friend during the past week. She couldn't even discuss juicy news with her friend because the pink-haired woman would shudder, cradle her flushed face in her arms and ask to be excused in the middle of every single story the blonde body-switching kunoichi would tell her. 'Damn, you had better pull your act together soon, girl friend, because  _I_  may end up in the mental ward because of you.'

Sighing, the blonde kunoichi tossed and turned once more, pushing her mint green sheets a little lower and cursing the summer heat for making it so damned hard to go to sleep. Deep inside, Ino knew that there was another reason why she couldn't sleep.

"Why did he tease me like that?" muttered the kunoichi, the images flashing in her mind making her shudder with desire. "Could it be that he actually–"

Ino threw off her blanket forcefully and reached under her pillows. She threw three kunai at the direction of her door and right through the mint colored blanket that was still in mid-air before rolling off the bed and grabbing another kunai from behind the lampshade. The sound of metal hitting wood made it known that the intruder had evaded her projectiles.

Ino assumed a fighting stance, a kunai in her right hand. "Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded from the shadowy figure near the entrance to her room. She assessed her situation. 'The only other exit is through the balcony behind me. I'd have to distract him before I reach out to unlatch the door and–'

The intruder switched on the lights, instantly filling the room with a bright light. Ino cursed loudly as her pupils constricted painfully. Temporarily blinded, she swiped with her kunai in a random manner, praying that the lack of pattern combined with her speed would be enough to hold the intruder back just until her eyes had adjusted to the light. It appeared that luck was not on her side as she felt strong hands grasp her wrists and push her against a wall, the impact causing her to lose her grip on her kunai. She cursed. She struggled fiercely, but the enemy proved to be too strong.

"Ino, stop fighting me…"

Ino stopped resisting instantly, recognizing the voice. Slowly, she opened her eyes and beheld a fuzzy face. Slowly, as her eyes adjusted to the lighting, the image became sharper, revealing a strong jaw, a beautiful nose, kissable lips, pale skin, intense, amber-cloaked eyes, wildly spiked black hair…

"Shino?" she said, gulping. He was wearing the sunglasses she had given him during his birthday. She felt something poke at her midsection and promptly looked down. She gasped and felt her core temperature sky-rocket.

The gorgeous Aburame was wearing  _only_  the amber-tinted sunglasses.

There, jutting out proudly between his muscular thighs, was an image of masculine perfection. She looked at the organ with indescribable lust and did a quick estimate at around ten inches long and just a little under two inches wide. She marveled at the smooth-looking, pale skin with prominent veins and the perfectly formed helmet of the glans with some pre-cum dripping from the slit.

She looked up and saw the lust behind those amber lenses. "Why–"

He crashed his supple lips against hers in a mind-numbing kiss. His tongue poked at her lips, requesting entry. Ino did not deny him. While their tongues lashed at each other, Shino's grip at her wrists loosened, allowing the blonde to embrace him and caress the hard muscles of his back. After some time, the need to breathe overcame their desire and forced the pair to separate. Both took in deep breaths while staring into each other's eyes.

"Ino, please," the handsome bug-nin said, his voice ragged, "Please, let me have you. Let me make love to you. Let me use my body to please you."

The blonde kunoichi grabbed the last kunai from under the pillow and slashed open her pajama top, revealing her firm and bountiful breasts to her lover. Though she said nothing, her response to Shino's request was clear. The bug-nin immediately lunged at her left one, sucking at her already hard nipples while he kneaded the other with his left hand. Ino moaned in delight. Using his right hand, the black-haired jōnin helped the kunoichi out of her pajama pants, leaving the Ino in nothing but her red panties. "Oh, Shino… Hurry!" pleaded the medical-nin. Shino hooked a finger at the waistband and tore the flimsy piece of clothing off.

'Damn! I liked that one. Oh well…'

Ino squealed as the bug-nin lifted her with relative ease and laid her on her back on the bed. He followed her there, hovering above her, his massive rod bobbing in anticipation. He sucked at her neck while one of his hands cupped her sex. Ino let out a ragged breath as her lover's large hand began to caress her folds, inserting a finger into the depths of her being. The blonde's back arched almost painfully as the bug-nin added another long finger while rubbing her clit with his thumb. He pumped his fingers in and out of her quivering hole, earning purrs and gasps from the kunoichi. After a while, Shino withdrew his hand and looked at it. "You're so wet already, Ino; so ready for me to fuck you."

"Then fuck me already!" she screamed, "Do it al– Ah! Oh, fuck!"

Ino shrieked, her eyes rolling back into her head, as Shino sheathed the entirety of his ten-inch erection within her in one swift thrust. The kunoichi thrashed in rapture as her walls clamped at the massive intrusion. The bug-nin was faring no better, moaning incoherently as he stayed there, unmoving, nestled within her tight, hot and slippery depths.

The blonde let out a long moan as Shino withdrew ever so slowly, the feeling of his thick shaft rubbing against her walls sending jolts of satisfaction up and down her body. When he was almost all the way out, he thrust back in roughly and swiftly, the head of his manhood bumping against her anterior fornix and sending the blonde medical-nin into another set of spasms and curses. 'Kami, two thrusts and I'm nearly at the edge!' she thought, impressed by the Aburame's skills. He repeated the motion several times, his hard pillar of meat exiting the blonde more swiftly and entering her more slowly with every cycle until he was able to set a rhythm that had the blonde underneath him moaning his name. Thanks to the lights, she was able to see every detail clearly: his handsome face twisted in concentration and pleasure, his beautiful muscles bulging in effort as he thrust into her, his ten inches of solid man-meat appearing and disappearing between her folds…

She felt the knot deep inside her tighten. "Oh, Shino, I'm so close already," said the blonde shinobi.

The raven-haired hunk pressed his hard chest against hers, blowing into her ear and making the kunoichi shudder, before whispering, "Go ahead. Cum for me, Ino. Squeeze my giant fucking cock with that tight pussy of yours."

"Ah, fuck!" The bug-nin's dirty words served as the trigger, the blonde medical-nin screamed her throat raw as a searing and throbbing heat erupted at the apex of her creamy thighs. "Too much! Shino, it's just too–"

_Blag!_

"…much?"

Yamanaka Ino found herself face down on the floor of dark room, fully clothed, sweaty and horny as hell, her red panties soaked through with her juices.

She heard only the sound of her heavy breathing and the tick of her bedside alarm clock for a few moments.

A high-pitched scream of frustration reverberated in the air.

* * *

Ino arrived at the medical-nin station a bit earlier than usual. Usually, her pink-haired friend was already present by the time she got there, but not today.

She went over to the pile of patient lists laid out by Shizune earlier that morning. She yawned a little and browsed through the clipboards, looking for the one with her name on it. As she was searching, her mind wandered to raven-haired senior. 'The hospital sure is lucky to have someone like Shizune-senpai. I mean, she's one of the last to leave the hospital and is the first to arrive to deck the patients to the medical-nin. In between, she also runs errands for Tsunade-sama. She's certainly very dedicated to her work.' Ino found her patient list and ambled to one of the desks, sitting down next to it while reading the contents of the documents on her clipboard. 'I heard that she's so busy that she never got around to finding someone to be with, though,' the blonde said, a bit of sadness lacing her voice at her senior's supposed loneliness, 'Well, that is unless those rumors about her are true'

She closed her eyes for a while as she recalled the gossip she had heard about the raven-haired medical-nin finding love in the most unexpected of places. There have been whispers about the woman taking on a handsome and much younger lover who was said to be very…  _skilled_  in certain competencies. Ino had asked the man point-blank if the rumors were true. He merely smiled and evaded the question, much to the kunoichi's dismay.

Yakushi Kabuto sure had sure changed a lot. Of that, Ino was certain.

At the end of the war, the silver-haired shinobi had come to the Godaime Hokage, seeking guidance so that he could "find himself." At too young an age, he had begun embarking on risky missions for Konoha's sake, taking on so many false lives, subconsciously melding them with his own fledgling one. The village benefited; the young man did not. In the end, he became confused, not knowing who he was. He yearned for a sense of self and a purpose for living.

Taking pity, Tsunade had taken the man despite the vehement objection of plenty of ninja, particularly her elderly advisors, citing the devastation his  _Summoning: Impure World Resurrection_  had incurred during the war. To alleviate concerns, she placed him under the careful watch of Shizune. The raven-haired kunoichi was initially suspicious, but found that he was truly sincere about his desire to pay for his crimes against the people of Konoha by offering his services as a medical-nin. It was during this time, rumor had it, that sparks began flying.

She couldn't blame her senior for being attracted to the man. Aside from the fact that both were medical-nin, the man was quite good-looking. Truthfully, Ino had found the bespectacled medical-nin to be quite attractive even way back during her first chūnin exam. Now twenty-seven years old, he was quite a sight to behold. For starters, he was remarkably well-built for a medical-nin. The blonde kunoichi had had to heal a few gashes in his chest before and she was pleasantly surprised to find that he had a chiseled body underneath those dorky-looking clothes of his. He had only grown more handsome as time passed, his ever-present glasses giving him an erudite appeal. To change his image a bit, he decided to keep his hair short and now sported a hairdo that made him resemble the Nidaime Hokage. Even Tsunade was struck by the ninja's resemblance to her granduncle and genuinely wondered if he was a distant relative.

People treated him roughly at first given his shadowy past, but as people saw his perseverance and sincerity, they began to embrace him as part of Konoha. The man even has his own fan club now, majority of the members of which were co-workers of the hunky and intelligent shinobi.

Ino laughed. 'Konoha certainly doesn't have a shortage on attractive men.'

Her mind, then, wandered to another of those "attractive men" and she promptly shuddered as she remembered her vivid and scorching dream that woke her at four o'clock in the morning and left her so edgy that she was unable to sleep any more; thus explaining why she was so early today. Her loins quivered a little at the memory. 'Damn! It felt so real!' she thought. 'The encounter at the hot springs, those rumors about him being very, uh,  _gifted_  and being an extremely skilled lover, and all my pent-up desire for him must've all combined to make that really detailed fantasy.' She sighed. 'I wouldn't mind being trapped in that dream, being pleasured by him like that for all eternity,' she decided, her cheeks aflame.

"I think it's about time I told Sakura about this," she stated, "Maybe she can give me some advice. She's a brainy little bitch, after all–" Ino stopped abruptly, her face falling as she remembered her pink-haired friend's current condition. "Still," she said, her voice brimming with hopefulness and conviction, "I have to try. Who knows? Maybe she'll be able to stay focused enough today to actually hear me finish everything. I'll try not to sound like a sex-crazed stalker when I tell her, though. Wouldn't want to appear  _too_  obsessed." She chuckled a little, and silently prayed that luck would be on her side today. Her eyes made their way once more to the temporarily forgotten documents before her that demanded attention.

After a few minutes, Sakura finally arrived. 'Ah, perfect. Now I can–' Ino stared at the pinkette. 'Hey, I remember that outfit. She's only worn that once before. Why wear it today? What's so special about  _today_?' the blonde pondered, 'And is that  _girly_  pin on her hair?' Ino mentally deliberated for a few moments and decided that she would clear everything that had anything to do with why Sakura has been so out of it lately once and for all before addressing her own concerns.

"What's with the outfit, Forehead?" the blonde medical-nin began.

* * *

Ino landed gracefully on the pavement below. The chat with Sakura had been refreshing, not to mention quite arousing, and although the pinkette wasn't able to give actual advice and tips, Sakura's affirmation alone was enough. Her best friend had unknowingly shattered the only barrier that was preventing the lovely kunoichi from pursuing the handsome Aburame. 'Thank you, Forehead,' Ino thought.

Ino looked around. At least fifteen minutes had passed since she saw Shino pass by the area so it was not surprising that the hunky ninja was nowhere in sight. "I suppose I  _could_  go around jumping from rooftop to rooftop to search for him…" Ino began, "but why let my jutsu and skills go to waste?" With a smirk on her lips, the beautiful kunoichi made a few hand seals. After the last seal, she made a small rectangle with the thumb and index finger of both hands, peering through and targeting a girl with silly pigtails that she saw gawking at the sexy bug-nin a while ago.

"Mind Skip."

Ino's consciousness zoomed into the girl that she had targeted. Ino skimmed across the girl's recent memories and found another person in the area that the latter saw look at the Aburame and note his path. The girl made a box with her fingers and targeted that person. In a split-second, Ino had entered the new target and she did the same steps she did within the girl with the silly pigtails. Ino's consciousness zigzagged through the streets of Konoha like a single beam of light within a room of a thousand mirrors. She eventually landed onto someone who was actually  _seeing_  the Aburame at the moment. She swiftly got her bearings and then allowed the man's body to face the hospital before making a rectangle with his hands. Ino zoomed into her own body and caught herself just before her face made contact with the pavement. She stood up, a grin on her face.

"There you are."

She jumped onto the nearest rooftop, leaving a bunch of people wondering why they were making rectangles with their fingers.

* * *

Given the amount of distance that the bug-nin had covered over the period of time, Ino was able to deduce that Shino was taking his sweet time taking a look around. 'Buying stuff for his mom, perhaps?' she mentally conjectured. A few more moments, she arrived at the shopping district and looked around. She found him in a jewelry shop, mulling over some necklaces.

"Hey, Shino."

"Oh, good morning, Ino," greeted the tall man, "What brings you here?"

"Actually, Shino, I wanted to–"

"Which one looks better?" asked the bug-nin, holding out two items: a thin platinum rope with a variety of pendants equally spaced along the chain, and a simple but elegant gold herringbone necklace. "If you were to choose, which one would you pick?"

"Er," the blonde muttered, a bit perplexed. "That one, I suppose," she said, pointing to the herringbone necklace. The bug-nin thanked her and told the saleslady that he would like to procure the item, reaching into his pocket to get his wallet.

"By the way, would you happen to know if there are red tulips available in the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino?" Shino inquired of the blonde. "I know you live on your own now, but I'm quite certain you know about these things."

"Well, my father always makes it a point to always have some on stock since it's quite a favorite for people who…"

"People who declare their love for another, I know. I want to procure some for tonight, since I plan to do just that with my date," stated the handsome bug-nin who now taking the velvet box which contained the necklace from the cashier. "Thanks for the help, Ino. I'll be seeing you." Shino waved goodbye to the lovely blonde and went for the door.

Ino just stared at his retreating form as he left the shop. 'And possibly my life as a woman,' she added mentally. She kept staring blankly at the door long after the Aburame had left, suppressing the sorrow and disappointment that began to well within her. One of the sales personnel tapped her shoulder a couple of times.

"Excuse me, ma'am, are you alright?" inquired the concerned saleslady.

"I… I don't think so," she replied, her lips trembling a bit.

Ino began the long trek home. Upon entering her room, she dove into the sheets and hugged one of her pillows. She poked at the stuffed cartoon butterfly once more, but the silly movement caused no smile to appear this time around. She felt a tear run along her face, just like it did a week ago before going to the hot springs. This time, though, she felt another, and another… Until she could not distinguish between drops, each azure eye producing a steady stream.


	5. Part 5

When Ino woke up, she realized that the sun had already set. She looked at her alarm clock. It was 7:21 PM already. It appeared that she had cried herself to sleep after her father confirmed that the Aburame had indeed ordered two dozens of red tulips. Her stomach grumbled in protest as the kunoichi had missed both lunch and dinner, but she simply didn't have the drive to even stand up and grab a sandwich or two from her refrigerator. "I've missed my chance," she mumbled. "I've missed my chance to be with him. I waited too long. I was too insecure. I– He'll belong to some other woman by the end of this night. I… I can't take it. I can't take it!" Tears began to fill her eyes once more. Jealousy overwhelmed her at the thought of him being with someone else, making love to someone else and laughing with someone else. "What do I do?" she muttered.

She went to the phone near the bed and dialed Sakura's number. 'I need to talk to someone or I'll go crazy!' Sakura was apparently not home as the machine prompted her to leave a message. Ino tried a few more times but to no avail. 'Where the hell are you, Sakura? I need your words of wisdom right now…' She was left to ponder alone. 'What would my friend do in this happened to her? What if some girl threw herself at Kiba? What would Sakura do?' She caught her pitiful form on the mirror, so weak, so helpless. And then the answer hit her like a chakra-enhanced punch from pink-haired friend.

"Sakura wouldn't mope around like this. She would fight! Hell, she'd probably beat the girl up into a pulp," Ino said to herself. She shook her head a little, "And I told her in the medical-nin station that I wouldn't give Shino up without a fight… If I was willing to fight my best friend for him, why not some bimbo?" She stood up and wiped the salt around her swollen eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. "That's right. Yamanaka Ino is far from helpless. If that girl wants a fight, then fight her I shall. Besides, he hasn't confessed to her just yet. There's still time. Even if I lose to that girl, at least I could say to myself that I tried what I could," she declared firmly.

She went to the phone and dialed the flower shop's number.  _"Oh, Ino. What is it?"_  Yamanaka Inoichi inquired.

"Dad, what time did Shino want his tulips delivered?"

 _"Uh, let's see…"_  Ino heard some papers rustle as her father looked for the log of the bug-nin's order,  _"He wanted them at… eight o' clock."_

"Don't send them just yet. I'll pick them up and deliver them myself."

 _"Eh? Wh–"_  a puzzled Inoichi began.

"Just do it, dad. Please." Ino hung up and quickly went to the bathroom to wash her face at pat it dry. She dashed to the living room and was almost outside the door when she realized something. She zoomed back into the kitchen and emerged with a couple of sandwiches and a bottle of water. "First things first…" she said. In no time, Ino was already hopping across Konoha's rooftops, occasionally biting into a tuna sandwich.

* * *

It was a few minutes before eight o'clock when Ino rang the doorbell in Shino's apartment. She began to chew the insides of her mouth in anxiety. She had never been so nervous in her life. Not even when she was about to take her jōnin test. She took deep breaths and reassured herself. The door opened after a few moments and she was greeted with the image of Shino in a black, long-sleeved shirt tucked into a pair of black pants. He hadn't buttoned the top part of the shirt yet, so Ino was able to see a bit of his pale and chiseled chest. 'He looks so formal, so handsome and so… positively  _delicious_. Black does wonders to the man,' she thought.

"Always on time. That's why you're the best–" Shino stopped short upon noticing that it wasn't a delivery boy wearing those unmistakable jovially patterned uniforms but the shop owner's beautiful daughter who was cradling the bouquet of red tulips he had ordered. "Ino? What are you doing here?"

Ino silently offered him the lovely bouquet. He hesitated for a moment before he reached out slowly and took it from her to cradle near his chest. As he did, he was able to take a good look at the blonde medical-nin and noted the puffiness and slight redness present in her eyes. Not being able to control himself, one of his hands shot out and took the girl's chin to raise her head, the contact sending pulses of desire to go up and down Ino's body. "Ino, have you been crying!?" inquired the bug-nin in a rather forceful tone, concern lacing his usually calm voice.

The medical-nin didn't answer and merely looked at him. The silence that followed stretched to unbearable lengths. Finally, the bug-nin spoke. "Actually, Ino, I was abou–"

Shino was unable to finish his statement as the purple clad kunoichi jumped him, literally, wrapping her arms around his neck and her long and slim legs around his trim waist, the bouquet of tulips sandwiched between their chests. She crushed her lips against his in a display of untamed passion. After an initial period of surprise, Ino felt the handsome shinobi kiss back with equal intensity. She felt one of his hands make its way to remove the band holding her ponytail, allowing her soft, sun-kissed locks to cascade down her shapely shoulders. She nibbled a little at his bottom lip and used her tongue to indicate that she wanted entry. He obliged. Soon, their tongues danced with each other in a salsa of ardor. After a few moments, they separated, their faces flushed after the astounding lip-lock. They stared at each other, breathing hard, for a few moments.

"Don't give them to her," Ino muttered.

"What?"

"The tulips… Don't give them to her," Ino reiterated, blushing deeply. "I brought them here so that  _I_  could declare my love for  _you_. Please, reconsider what you're about to do. I… I've liked you since your birthday party six months ago; even before that, I think. Call me shallow, but at that moment, I was unable to think of anything but how hot you were." Ino's blush deepened even further. "I'm not proud of it, but I've even had… erotic dreams of you. I don't think that this is merely a physical attraction. I really think that I've fallen for you Shino. You're so strong, so brilliant, so cultured and elegant. I think I would've gone for you earlier if you weren't so mysterious and covered up and all."

Shino smiled while blushing a little at her praises and those naughty tidbits. Ino continued speaking. "I know that I'm not exactly the perfect girl. I know about my reputation and I know that  _you_  know about it. I've been 'around' and have been with a number of guys, and I'm not exactly proud of it, Shino. I was like that because I didn't know what I want, but now…" she paused and caressed his handsome face with her delicate hands that betrayed their deadly potential, "Now I do. I want you, Shino. Please, just give me this chance to prove myself worthy of you. Don't confess to that girl just yet. Not yet, Shino. Plea–"

She was silenced by another long, deep kiss from the sexy bug-nin. 'Kami, where did he learn to kiss like this?' When he finally released her mouth, he said to her, in a deep, seductive voice that made her insides do somersaults, "Are you sure you don't want me to confess to you just yet, Ino?"

Ino wasn't quite sure she heard that right. "What?"

"I was about to go to your place tonight and ask you out.  _You_  were the date I mentioned at the jewelry shop, Ino," he declared. He looked at the space between their chests, shook his head and sighed. "I suppose I won't be able to push through with the plan now that these tulips have been smothered to compost-worthy material." He looked at her in mock disappointment and she smiled a little in embarrassment. "I suppose I'll have to declare my love some other way, then. One that won't need anything other than… me," said the gorgeous Aburame, a suggestive smirk present on his lips.

They stilled for a moment. Ino let his statement sink in.

They clashed once again in a tangle of lips, teeth and tongue. Shino moved forward, one of his arms making wide arcs to search for the door while Ino reached in between them to grab the pitiful botanical specimen and throw it aside, leaving a trail of crushed petals. Shino had found the door and shut it forcefully, one of Ino's hands fumbling behind her to help him search for the doorknob and lock the door. Once that was done, the Aburame carried the gorgeous blonde to his bedroom and dumped the kunoichi onto his bed in a hurry. He dashed to the door, slammed it shut and locked it.

When he turned around to get back to her, he, or more specifically, his shirt, was attacked by the blonde medical-nin in attempt to help him undress. Ino's fingers kept on fumbling and she let out a hiss of annoyance at the damned black buttons. Shino let out a growl and pried off her hands. He grabbed the shirt himself and tore it open, the buttons flying everywhere, baring his muscular torso to his lover. He groaned as Ino immediately began to suck and nibble at one of his nipples while she pinched and played with the other, the nubs hardening in an instant. He grabbed the edge of her shirt and pulled it over her head. In a few moments, Shino's pants and Ino's skirt and chest bindings had joined the other articles on the floor and the two ninja were kissing each other on the bed, their hands roaming and exploring the expanse of hot, smooth and sweaty flesh that each had exposed for the other's petting pleasure.

Ino, who was on top, felt the hardness between his legs. She broke the kiss and looked at the appendage. The pinkish head and some of the thick shaft were jutting out from the flimsy black bikini brief that Shino had on, the garment clearly unable to contain the size of his endowment. She looked back at him, trying not to look too impressed. Shino had a smug look present on his usually stoic face. The blonde kunoichi's mouth twisted into an impish grin and leaned forward, kissing the bug-nin briefly before sucking and licking his neck, then lower to his pecs, his abs… Ino gripped the waistband of his underwear and briskly pulled it down to his thighs. The motion caused Shino's massive pillar of hard flesh to flail and slap her cheek. Ino gasped and felt her canal contract as Shino's blazing hot member made contact with the skin of her face. She pulled the garment past his ankles before throwing it away. She turned back and felt her breath get caught in her throat as she marveled at the beauty of the man she would make love to tonight.

Here he was, the man she wants, in all his naked glory. She looked at his handsome face, at those bluish-gray eyes filled with lust for  _her_. She marveled at the beauty of his chiseled torso and arms, the muscles bulging and twitching with desire, the light sheen of sweat making every detail more pronounced. She surveyed his thighs and legs, muscled and toned, boasting such speed and power. She zeroed at that massive organ between his legs and thought, 'It appears the rumors were true.' She was amazed at how accurate her fantasy was. Ten inches of hard man-meat, two inches thick, pulsing and throbbing, sheathed with flawless pale skin and prominent veins, the corpus spongiosum and bulbospongiosus very distinct, promising infinite hardness. She looked below at the proportionally large globes that boasted of such virility. She took a deep breath, smelling the musky, manly scent that wafted from him. 'Ino, you lucky girl,' she mentally congratulated herself, 'What a prize it is, indeed!' Unable to control her lust, she dove for the trophy between his legs. The man cursed loudly as Ino's moist and hot tongue came in contact with his thick shaft.

Ino licked him slowly, languidly, from base to tip, her tongue noting the taste of his skin, memorizing its texture. One of her hands which had been stroking his thigh slid up and grasped the base of Shino's cock so that it wouldn't wobble so much as she continued to work with it. "Ah, Ino!" the bug-nin hissed as the tip of the medical-nin's tongue played with the head of his manhood as well as the ridge which joined the head to the shaft. A groan left his lips as Ino licked the drop of pre-cum at the tip as she pumped the base of his long shaft a little. The blonde's icy blue gaze met his for a split-second, as if to warn him of what would come next. Shino knew what she would do and braced himself. Without further ado, Ino engulfed as much of his mammoth hardness as she could in her wet and hot mouth.

"Ah, fuck, Ino!" exclaimed the Aburame, throwing his head back in bliss and gripping the black silk sheets so hard his knuckles turned white. Ino opened her eyes and stared at the erotic display before her. Shino's sweaty and chiseled chest rose and fell quickly, his breath rapid and shallow. The bug-nin writhed in pleasure, his muscles twitching and flexing deliciously as she pleasured him. His reaction only spurred her to do better. Her pace quickened, her head bobbing up and down the rigid rod of man-meat, one of her hands pumping that portion of his ten-inch shaft she could not pleasure with her mouth, the other hand cupping and massaging the substantial orbs below.

Shino let out a heavy and ragged breath. He looked at his blonde lover. She really looked like a goddess, he thought. His lustful eyes gazed at the blonde bombshell – her supple and graceful curves that belied the skill and deadliness kunoichi of her caliber possessed, her plump and toned bottom that was raised teasingly into the air as she bent down to suck on his cock, her breathtakingly beautiful face a picture of concentration as she pleasured him. He shuddered a little as he watched his shaft go in and out of her luscious lips and into the moist cavern of her mouth, her firm breasts and soft, golden tresses brushing against his thighs. The sensations Ino was making him feel were incredible, nearly  _too_  incredible. He assessed his situation a little. He knew that he didn't have Kiba's kekkei-genkai-like abilities to last for hours before ejaculating or being able to stay hard even after dozens of orgasms, but he was well aware that he could last far longer than the average man or even the average male ninja. However, with Ino, the woman he had desired for so long, as his lover, he wasn't certain. If he wanted to make the most out of this encounter, he would have to do something.

"Ino… wait a, uh, moment," said the bug-nin between moans as he affectionately wove his fingers into his lover's blonde locks. Ino stopped for a moment, looking questioningly at him. He sat up and brought her face closer to his so that they could share a kiss. "I think it's a bit unfair that  _I'm_  the only one getting pleasured by a tongue," he declared.

Before Ino's mind could register what he said, she had already been flipped so that her hot and soaking core was directly above Shino's mouth while his massive erection throbbed below hers. Ino gasped as he rubbed her sex through her flimsy pink underwear. He hooked a finger and pulled roughly, tearing the garment in an instant and flinging it aside, allowing it to join the other randomly scattered articles on the bedroom floor. 'This had better be real,' the blonde medical-nin thought, recalling the similar scenario in her dream, 'or else I'll hand myself over to the psychiatric service because I'll go crazy from–' Ino screeched as Shino inserted a long finger into her vagina.

"You're so tight, Ino, and so damn wet," mumbled the bug-nin as he twisted and pumped the digit inside her. He pulled out after a while and licked her juices. "You taste good too, Ino. Did you know that?" whispered the bug-nin. He plunged the digit back in and pumped furiously in and out, earning more moans from the trembling kunoichi.

Ino couldn't see his face, but she knew he was smirking just by the tone of his voice. 'Two can play that game,' she mentally mused. She made a few seals and anaesthetized her pharynx, turning off her gag reflex. She descended upon his member and engulfed half of it in one go, a feat she wouldn't have been able to do normally without choking. The action caused the Aburame to forcefully exhale unto Ino's nether lips, earning a groan of delight from the kunoichi. Shino cursed loudly and threw his head back, subconsciously thrusting his pelvis up and making another couple of inches of his cock slide past Ino's lips as the vibrations of her throat traveled through his hard and thick length to his groin.

Intent on making the most of their joining, the bug-nin pushed  _three_  fingers into his lover's tight passage, earning a shriek of pleasure from the blonde medical-nin. Ino had to let go of the Aburame's member as she took a deep breath after that particularly delicious thrust of her lover's fingers. Shino himself had to suppress a moan as he felt how her hot walls gripped his fingers. She held onto one of his thighs, his erection temporarily forgotten, as Shino pumped three long fingers furiously in and out of her vagina. "Oh, Shino," she moaned over and over, feeling the coil deep within her become tighter and tighter at the raven-haired jōnin's pleasurable ministrations. Just when she thought it couldn't get any better, she felt his tongue play with her hardened clit. She promptly screamed in rapture, feeling a set of small contractions within her, signaling how close she was to her peak. Shino removed his fingers and began to explore her canal with his tongue, the hot and wet muscle probing and wiggling at her core. "Ah, fuck, Shino," she cursed, shuddering, "I'm so fucking close!" Without warning, he jammed three fingers once more into her canal and jabbed the spot just behind her pubic bone, sucking ferociously at her clit at the same time. Ino's eyes rolled back into her head.

"Ah, shit, Shino!" the blonde medical-nin bellowed as blinding white heat erupted within her loins in a set of incredible contractions. She hugged one of his thighs with both arms as if holding on for dear life, as if the intense pleasure would wash her away to oblivion. Shino greedily devoured the honey that dripped out from deep within her. As the contractions began to recede, Shino withdrew his fingers and licked them clean, as well as Ino's swollen and glistening labia. Ino gasped as his tongue slid along her folds which were still sensitive after her incredible orgasm.

"Let me correct myself. You taste  _really_  good, Ino," the handsome Aburame told her as he continued to lick her saturated folds. She blushed despite herself at her lover's bluntness, whimpering at his talented tongue's attention.

As the seconds ticked by she became increasingly aware of the vacuum left behind by Shino's fingers and tongue. 'I want to be filled,' she thought, and looked down at the magnificent specimen of manhood jutting proudly from his groin, still infinitely hard despite not having received any attention from her tongue for some time. Shino was a little surprised when Ino pulled away. She faced him and crept forward lithely and gracefully like a cat. She captured his lips with hers, tasting herself on his tongue and finding it strangely arousing. When they separated, Ino had a pleading look on her face. "Shino, I want you now. Please, Shino, fill me."

The Aburame nodded without hesitation. "Only a fool would deny you, Ino," he replied. Ino squealed when the handsome shinobi flipped the two of them, so that he was now on top. Her breath caught in her throat as she eyed his muscular form hovering above her, eager to please her.

She mewled as she felt the head of his erection press against her opening. Shino pushed forward. Ino gasped as she felt his tip go past the verge. Slowly but surely, he slid into her, his hot, thick, and hard meat stretching her canal oh so deliciously, filling her in a way no other man before him had ever even come close to achieving. Within a few moments, Shino's ten-inch manhood was buried to the hilt within the beautiful blonde. "Oh, Shino, you feel so good," moaned the kunoichi.

The bug-nin stayed like that, unmoving, for a few moments, savoring the feeling of her tight and wet heat around him as he allowed Ino to get used to his generous size. He caressed her smooth skin, feeling the toned muscles beneath, testament to her way of life. He looked at her flushed face, her sun-kissed locks fanning across his dark sheets like an ethereal halo. Her eyes were closed, her face etched with bliss. He never thought she could become even more beautiful, but seeing her like this made him doubt his conclusion. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly at the edge of her lips. "Kami, I love you, Ino," he whispered into her ear before nipping at her earlobe. The blonde shinobi shuddered and pulled him closer into a tender embrace, his hard chest flush against her firm and bounteous orbs, her hands delicately tracing the muscles of his broad and sweaty back. When Ino drew back a little, the Aburame knew that she was ready for more.

Shino pulled back slowly, the delicious sensation of his thick cock rubbing against her silky walls producing shaky breaths from both parties. Ino whimpered a little as she felt the emptiness the bug-nin's rod left within her as he withdrew. By the time the handsome jōnin stopped, only the head of his erection was left within her. With equal speed, Shino sheathed himself once more within his lover. Ino let out a low groan of satisfaction at the renewed sensation of being stretched by his massive pole. Shino repeated the motion over and over, speeding up a little every time until he reached a steady, brisk rhythm that left him and his blonde lover gasping each other's names with each thrust.

"Oh, Shino," moaned the medical-nin as she writhed underneath her talented and well-endowed lover. She subconsciously raised her legs and wrapped them around the sexy Aburame's trim waist, crossing her ankles at his lower back. Shino bent his trunk to capture Ino's left breast in his mouth, the movement causing the angle of his thrusts to change. "Ah!" the kunoichi exclaimed, as the Aburame's manhood bumped against a different set of points within her. One of her hands wove into his black hair, urging him to suck harder at her erect, pinkish nipple. Shino shifted to the right breast after some time, playfully biting and licking the sensitive flesh. The blonde medical-nin moaned appreciatively at Shino's attention. He pulled back a little and grabbed her legs, hooking each leg over a broad shoulder. The bug-nin planted a hand on either side of his lover's beautiful face, his toned arms straight and elbows locked. He smirked. Ino braced herself.

"Ah, fuck, Shino!" shrieked the blonde, her eyes shutting tight, as Shino proceeded to thrust into her with such force and speed that she thought she would go crazy. Her toes curled at the intensely pleasurable assault. Her arms thrashed, seeking for something to hold on to at Shino's merciless and infinitely delightful onslaught. They found their way on his arms. She held onto his toned and muscular limbs as he continued to spear her with his pounding ramrod at an impressive pace.

"Ah, Ino," moaned the bug-nin, as he continued to pound into the blonde medical-nin, "you, ah, feel so good. I… I don't think I, oh, can last any longer. I'm, ah, going to cum soon!"

Ino's eyes opened and took in the image of her lover's chiseled and sweaty body flexing and heaving as he plunged his ten-inch column of man-meat into her saturated folds over and over again. Finding herself at the precipice, she pulled at one of his arms. Shino understood quickly and bent his arms, bringing his handsome face closer to hers. "I'm cumming. Oh, I'm cumming for you, Shino," she murmured.

"Then cum, Ino, and milk  _my_  cum from my loins with your pussy," he responded, sweat dripping from his brow. She pulled him into a deep kiss just as her orgasm hit. Ino screamed into his mouth as white hot pleasure exploded at the apex of her thighs. She continued to moan as her canal convulsed around his member, the pounding unit prolonging her ecstasy.

Shino felt Ino's silken walls begin to squeeze him for all he was worth. The unbearable tightening around his massive pole of flesh, the gush of blazing hot juices that coated his member, her delicious breasts rubbing against his chest and the love of his life moaning into his mouth proved too much for Shino. With one final deep thrust, he let go of Ino's lips and threw his head back, letting out a stifled moan as he felt pulse after pulse of maddening bliss erupt from his loins. Ino stared with half-lidded eyes as her lover reached his own peak. She watched his entire body buck and spasm, feeling his thick shaft pulse deliciously within her, each pulse accompanied by a powerful jet of semen erupting from the tip of his massive organ. She moaned in delight as she felt him fill her to overflowing, the thick, white fluid oozing out of her still quivering hole and dripping onto his black sheets.

The Aburame leaned closer and captured her lips in a tender kiss as they allowed the last waves of pleasure wash over them. They stayed like this for a while before Shino rolled to the side so as to avoid crushing his beloved with his weight. Ino let out a small whimper as the bug-nin's semi-erect organ slipped out of her folds. She felt strangely empty after having been stretched by the bug-nin's for so long. The lovers blushed a little as they saw the result of their activities – the combination of their essences coating the raven-haired jōnin's member as well as oozing out the entrance of the blonde's love tunnel. Shino made a move to get a towel, but Ino grasped his arm and requested him to stay in bed with her.

"You were amazing," said Shino, wrapping an arm around the blonde protectively and kissing one of her shoulders.

"No,  _you_  were," murmured the kunoichi, using a deltoid for her pillow and lazily tracing circles on his smooth chest. Her eyes scanned the room, noting her lover's simple but elegant taste. 'He really does like black a lot. It's a good color for him. Brings out his complexion," she mentally noted. She eventually noticed a familiar pair of amber sunglasses resting upon a velvet box near the lampshade. She reached over Shino and grabbed it. "You know, you never really told me why you've never bought a pair of these yourself," she told the handsome man beside her.

"Actually, all Aburame clan members only wear black or dark-tinted glasses before their twenty-first birthday," replied Shino. "You see," he continued, noting the puzzled look on Ino's face, "my clan has always been viewed as revolting for our unusual bond with destruction beetles. Knowing the discomfort others would feel when using the insects, the earliest generations began covering themselves as much as they could, including their eyes, so that others who're quite sensitive would at least be civil with the clan members. This was passed on to younger generations, and it would later be what would define us, just as, say, the byakugan define the Hyūga. The later generations raised an argument that we should actually dress just like normal people to drive home the point that there we are not so different from the people who are wary of us. The two factions debated for some time, valid arguments arising from both sides. The arguments were far too numerous, so I'll just skip to their decision." Shino paused for a little, running a hand through his black hair which was slightly damp due to their activities. "The 'dress code' was to be kept by the younger clan members, as they, in their inexperience, may accidentally cause the beetles to crawl out of their bodies and cause discomfort among the population. Upon a member's coming of age, he or she shall be given two choices: first, the choice to bare more of yourself to the world, risking being overtly shirked by others for the sake of individuality, self-expression and proving their assumptions wrong; or to continue living, restricted in more ways than one by your hooded jackets–"

"And you clearly chose the first one," interjected Ino. "Pretty bold, I must say. Pun not intended."

"It's not like we're not looked upon with disgust even  _with_  the bulky clothing on," Shino snorted. "Besides, I know I have friends who accept me for who I am, so I don't care what the rest think. You guys are all I need," he told the blonde beside him, an earnest smile on his face. "I'm really fortunate to have had very open-minded teammates right at the beginning. Kiba may look like he just likes goofing around, entirely untrue, by the way, but it was  _he_  who inspired me to take this path. I suppose some of his somewhat superfluous confidence has rubbed in."

'Well, the man certainly has  _lots_  of things to be, er,  _cocky_  about,' mentally noted the medical-nin, recalling the very hot discussion with her pink-haired friend. She felt her temperature go up as a very detailed picture of the well-endowed and smoldering dog-nin with all of his "assets" on display inadvertently entered her head. A small voice at the back of her mind berated her. 'Hey, just because I'm totally head-over-heels with Shino doesn't mean I can't appreciate manly beauty when I see it! Kiba just happens to have a lot of it!' she defended herself against her own conscience.

"That's what drew me to you, you know?" the bug-nin said, interrupting the blonde's flow of thoughts. "At first, I thought you were the stereotypical pretty girl who would express her utmost disgust for someone like me. But you didn't do anything even close to that. Sure, I could sense some discomfort, but that was pretty much it. You were very accepting of me, and it surprised me. There was so much to you than what meets the eye. The fact that you're drop-dead gorgeous certainly doesn't hurt. It was only natural for me to have liked you."

"Oh?" the blonde questioned with a small smirk, "Good thing you explained it like that. If you had gone all poetic and rambled about how natural it was for an insect, an allusion to you for being a bug-nin, to be attracted to a flower, an allusion to me for being the daughter of a flower shop owner, then I would've dumped you for being so corny."

Shino put on a façade of mock concern. "Would you really?" he asked.

"Oh, you know I'm kidding, silly!" she retorted, moving to playfully hit his chest. The moment her palm made contact with his hard pecs, both parties gasped. The contact made ripples of desire go up and down the blonde's lithe body; Shino's gasp wasn't entirely from pain, either. The blonde medical-nin's gaze traveled south and watched as his member began to assume its imposing form once more. She tore her eyes off his groin and played with the amber-tinted glasses. "You know," she began, a blush on her cheeks, "in that fantasy I told you about, you barged into my apartment wearing only these."

The raven-haired shinobi raised a brow, his bluish-gray eyes focused on his lover. After a few moments, he reached for the velvet gift box and took out the elegant gold herringbone necklace. "Actually, the funny thing is, while I was taking a shower to prepare for the date,  _I_  had a fantasy of  _you_  wearing only  _this_ ," he told her. "You can imagine what I did, I'm sure. It was quite a mess, really," he added, a suggestive smirk on his handsome face. He pumped his ten-inch rod of hard flesh a couple of times with a large hand as if to offer a clue.

"Hmm, what should we do, then?" asked the blonde shinobi, the corner of her lips curving upwards into a naughty grin.

 

Fin


End file.
